The National Geographic Society Museum, located in
the El Shura Council Compound in Kasr El Aini Street in Cairo, seems to be a hidden museum as many people are unaware of its
 existence.
Trying to find it was a tough job. Immediately upon entering the compound I found a sign on one of the two buildings indicating it to be the National Geographic Society. I entered the museum and began to discover the different chambers. The museum
consists of five main halls. These are labeled as Cairo Hall, Africa Hall, Suez Canal Hall, Egyptian Ethnography and a general Hall about Egypt.
“The society was founded by Khedive Ismail on the 19th of May 1875 as an independent organization and, to insure its independence, he dedicated 600 fedan (acre) to act as revenue
for the society,” said Ahmed Makkawy the museum manager. “The Society was founded by and for
European explorers and missionaries of the 19th century,” added Makkawy.
Initially,
the initially acted as a staging post by European explorers
who came in search of the sources of the Nile, and later by
the many geographers whose research it financed during the 
interwar years. It is perhaps best known for its library, a
cartographic collection and a series of relief maps of
Egypt.
However, the museum contains a wealth of artifacts from the 19th century,
many of which are still in use today. “These are artifacts of daily life in
Egypt. For example the Cairo hall contains children's toys, women's
jewelry and clothes. There is even soldier's clothing of
different ranks,” Added Makkawy.
The artifacts in the museum highlight an early stage of
development for some technologies that would latter become
mainstream, such as the peep shows which can be considered the first form of cinema or moving pictures in Egypt.
 There is also a big hall that is used to conduct the society meetings. The hall itself is
actually a work of art that dates back to 1925. The hall is large enough to
hold 500 people. According to Mr. Makkawy “The 12th international conference for geography was held in this hall with
King Fouad as its president.”
The museum contains a library which has a variety of books that are very helpful for any researcher in the geography field. “It contains journals from other
geographical societies gathered from all around the world. The Egyptian society is keen on the exchange of all its publications with other societies,” added Makkawy.
I was told that some of the books contains important geographic descriptions of early travels and explorations in Egypt and Africa.
Some date to the time when explorers were attempting to  discovering the
source of the Nile
River.
The presentation of the museum is somewhat uninformative and unappealing. The way that the items are labeled and grouped, in addition to the showcases and the lighting, prevents the museum from being beneficial
to average visitors. However a careful examination of the museum
reveals a wealth of information on the life style of people in 19th century Egypt and Africa.
There is excellent information on the habits and customs of Egyptians with special emphasis on geographical distribution. Different
cultural customs are portrayed such as those for wedding
ceremonies. Other topics include public baths, circumcision, smoking habits, women's ornaments, musical instruments and toys.
There are also period paintings, statues and other artifacts.
Cairo's museums
are numerous, and many are specialized such as this one. While
it may not be of interest to all tourists, those with a little
time on their hands who seek both a unique experience and a
view into Egypt's not so distant cultural past will probably
find a visit to the National Geographic Museum very
rewarding.
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