Tahrir Square and the Egyptian Museum

Tahrir Square also known as "Liberation Square" was the scene of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and as such most of the people on our trip were excited and/or anxious to check it out. We didn't actually walk to the square (which is actually a circle), but our bus driver drove us around the square a couple of times. I'm not sure what I expected to see, but the area was calm and peaceful. Gigi told us that the few people still camping in the square are the families of those who died while attending the revolution. As you can see, they were actually happy to see us. Notice the posters of the dead in the second photo and the injured man in the fourth photo.

  

One of the most striking images from the square was this effigy hanging from the streetlight. Perhaps it was meant to represent Mubarak.

The Egyptian Museum sits a block from the square in a salmon colored building that seemingly has not changed since its opening in 1902. It was dimly lit, dusty, and was stuffed to the ceiling with Egyptian goodies. The museum also houses King Tut's grave goods which were very cool. During the Revolution of 2011 some rioters broke into the museum and damaged a couple of antiquities and a few mummies but there was so much to see I didn't notice any damage.

 

Also during the Revolution, protestors burned the building you see in the photo below. I was told by Gigi that this building housed Mubarak's offices.