The new Aten museum in Minya is getting ready for its opening scheduled merely weeks from today. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities confirmed the ongoing preparation for the soon-to-be-inaugurated museum.
The Supreme Committee of Museum Exhibition inspected the Aten museum following the ministry’s plan to oversee the museum’s development and exhibition plan before its launch date.
The construction process of the museum, inspired by king Akhenaten of the 18th dynasty, started after the partnership agreement with the Hildesheim Museum in Germany in 2002. Unfortunately, construction stopped due to the events of the Jan 25 revolution, only to proceed again in 2015.
As one of the biggest museums in the state, it is considered a cultural icon for the Minya governorate. The building is specifically constructed to represent the sun god and mimic the reflection of sunlight off of Aten’s sun disc.
Aten museum will exhibit many artifacts representing the period between prehistoric times all the way to the Greco-Roman era. Moreover, it will include an open space dedicated to leisure activities, such as bazaars, a conference center, a theatre, a science lab, a walkway, restaurants, and cafés with a Nile view.
As the former capital of Egypt, the Minya governorate is home to numerous archaeological monuments and museums, including the Mallawi museum, which showcases monuments and artworks that stood the test of time.
Furthermore, it offers various touristic activities, besides being the resting place of the ancient Egyptian king and queen Akhenaton and Nefertiti, who lived in the village currently referred to as Tel El-Amarna.
