Before the existing building of the Egyptian Museum several building were erected and used to display archeological pieces. The existing building was started by Auguste Mariette who died before it was finished and the job was completed by Gaston Maspero who became the director of the museum during the 19th century. He completed the job with the help of a French archeologist from the French expedition to Egypt.

The façade of the museum:

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On the very top of the entrance there are three flags. The middle one is the Egyptian flag. The two flags on the sides belong to Egyptian antiquity. The museum was build during the period of 1897 and 1901which is stated on the sides of the flags. This was the ruling period of Khidvi Abbas Helmy whose initials are printed on the façade above the entrance on both sides.

Under the initials there are three figures. The middle one is Goddess Hathor in a human form represented as a pretty lady with very delicate features wearing some kind of diadem for ornament on top of the diadem there are the cow horns and the solar disc and wearing a wig divided into three parts. This is called the Hathoric hair wig. The two side parts are more like feathers which might represent Nkhbet due to the ureas or cobra which should represent Wadjet. The bird that is located at the bottom of the statue should represent Horus or the Vulture. Hathor is one of the old Goddesses; she represents maternity, beauty, love and was later identified with Aphrodite the beautiful Greek Goddess. Hathor had many titles such as Lady of Sycamore, lady of love and others. Goddess Hathor is represented in several form among them her representation as a cow or a lady with a head of a cow. In almost all her representation she wears the horns and the solar disc on her head. The two figures on both sides of Hathor represent goddess Isis in the Graeco-Roman style to identify the two civilizations within this building.

On the sides of the entrance there are two Ionic columns consisting of a base, a shaft and a capital. On the upper section of the two sides of the façade there are rectangular shapes baring the names and titles of capital cities and famous kings. There are also medallions baring the names of the pioneers of Egyptology.

In the garden of the museum there is a semi circular cenotaph baring a full bust and heads of characters probably for Marriette and significant characters. The pond of the museum contains both live lotus and papyrus plants signifying the unification. The sphinxes in front of the pond belong to Thutmosis III and act as guardians of the building. There are several other statues, pyramids and other statues for the purpose of decorating the garden.

The Museum consists of two floors. The ground floor contains monuments of the old, middle and new kingdom and the second floor contains the Tutankhamen collection, mummies and the Graeco-Roman works of art.