Dear friends and archaeology lovers, in the frame of the PCMA-IFAO postdoctoral fellowship, the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, Research Centre in Cairo will host the symposium “Medicine and museums: History and challenges of medical collections in Cairo”. The symposium, organized by the PCMA-IFAO fellow Dr. Gabriele Mario Conte, will be held on 29 September 2025.
Abstract
Medicine and the art of healing occupy an important place in museum exhibitions dedicated to ancient and modern civilizations, as they are a constituent element of the culture and society of any historical period. This is also true in Egyptology: sections on Egyptian medicine are present in every major museum, yet there is still no reflection on how these objects should be displayed in order to have an impact on the public. Thinking about how the history of medicine can be made accessible to the public is a fundamental step in studying the social and cultural role of healing within society. The symposium aims to compare the experiences of museums that have sections dedicated to the study of medicine, both in the context of Egyptology and in later phases of Egyptian history. The city of Cairo provides an ideal setting for a comparative approach, given the large number of museums present and the long period of time covered by these institutions. The symposium will feature presentations on the collections of medical objects held at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and the Museum of Islamic Art, providing a diachronic perspective on the state of museological thinking on the exhibition of objects related to the history of medicine in a specific cultural and social context. Speakers will present the medical section of their museum, describing how the objects were selected and how the spaces dedicated to them were set up. In particular, attention will focus on how these objects are made accessible to the public, the communication and dissemination strategies adopted to present the finds, and ongoing projects focused on ancient healing practice and medicine. The reflection that will follow the comparison of different experiences will highlight how healing can have an impact on the population and modern society outside the strictly medical sphere.
Programme
The symposium will be held on 29 September at the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, Research Centre in Cairo, according to the following programme:
14.30-15.00 Reception
15.00-15.15 Greetings and opening (Dr. Gabriele Mario Conte, Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale, Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology)
15.00-16.00 Dr. Fatma Bakar (National Museum of Egyptian Civilization), Medical tools between function and museum display
16.00-17.00 Dr. Heba Hosny (Museum of Islamic Art), From Cures to Connections: Islamic Medical Heritage and Community Engagement at the Museum of Islamic Art
17.00-17.30 Final roundtable
Please note, we work on a first-come, first-served basis, as the number of seats is limited. We open our doors at 14:30 and close them at 15:10 or earlier when the lecture room reaches its full capacity.
Location: 11 Mahalla Str., Heliopolis, Cairo, Al-Ahram Metro Station, 3rd line
https://maps.app.goo.gl/6TGrXULWtMf58EP47
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