The rooms

Where are the Egyptian Antiquities in the Louvre?

You will find the two displays on Sully levels 0 and 1. Level 0 covers daily life, starting with the Nile and its flood. The route continues through the mastaba chapel, hieroglyphs and daily-life displays, ending with the temple room and sarcophagi.

The chronological display on level 1 runs from prehistory to the Ptolemaic Period. Its last rooms belonged to the first Egyptian museum, opened in 1827, and still have their original display cases.

The Great Sphinx of Tanis is in Room 338, the Crypt of the Sphinx, on level -1. It is carved in pink granite and is 183 cm high and 480 cm long.

What to do: Choose your day by the display you want: on the current schedule the themed rooms are closed on Fridays and the chronological rooms are closed on Thursdays.

The works

What to see in the Egyptian Antiquities of the Louvre

The 53.7 cm Seated Scribe is listed in Room 635, case 10, on Sully level 1. Its painted limestone body has eyes inlaid with rock crystal. The Louvre suggests walking around the case while keeping your eye on him. Catalogue locations may be out of date; check with staff if needed.

You can enter Akhethotep's mastaba chapel in Room 333 on level 0. The Louvre bought it from the Egyptian government in 1903 and rebuilt it stone by stone. It was later dismantled, restored and rebuilt on a raised base; that restoration ended in spring 2021.

The museum lists Sekhmet statues in Room 324 and the Dendera Zodiac in Room 325. The bust of Akhenaten is in Room 638.

The history

Who founded the Louvre's Egyptian collection?

Jean-François Champollion founded and directed the Louvre's first Egyptian museum after deciphering hieroglyphs in 1822. Named after King Charles X, the museum was inaugurated on 15 December 1827.

Percier and Fontaine designed the original museum rooms. In 1997, the Grand Louvre programme spread the collection over about thirty rooms on two floors.

The Sphinx was found at Tanis and entered the museum's inventory in 1826. Its proposed dates are the reign of Amenemhat II or, less certainly, the 4th dynasty. Later kings reused it.

Opening times

When are the Egyptian Antiquities open?

On the current schedule, the themed display on level 0 is closed on Fridays; the chronological display on level 1 is closed on Thursdays. These entries do not confirm access to the Sphinx crypt on level -1.

The Louvre opens from 9:00 to 18:00, or until 21:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays. It closes on Tuesdays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Last entry is one hour before closing; staff start clearing rooms 30 minutes before.

The Magic room (317), animal gallery (318) and Book of the Dead gallery (319) reopened in early 2026. These rooms are on level 0; check the themed display schedule before visiting.