The story of this place
Founded in 1824 when King Charles Felix of Savoy bought a huge collection of antiquities, the Museo Egizio in Turin is the oldest museum in the world dedicated solely to ancient Egypt and holds one of the largest such collections outside Cairo—over 30,000 artefacts. Its treasures include the intact tomb goods of the architect Kha and his wife Merit, discovered in 1906 with furniture, food, and clothing preserved for 3,400 years, and the Turin King List, a fragile papyrus recording Egypt's pharaohs. Jean-François Champollion, who deciphered hieroglyphics, studied here and declared 'the road to Memphis and Thebes passes through Turin.' A statue gallery dramatically lit with mirrors makes it one of Europe's most atmospheric museums.