Africa’s Top Museums

It is well known that the best way to experience and understand humanity is to visit a museum. Without a doubt, Africa, the cradle of humanity, has some of the best museums. One of the best ways to understand different cultures is to visit a museum. That said, here are some African museums that will undoubtedly blow your mind and give you a true reflection of the beauty that exists in Africa.

Senegal’s Museum of Black Civilization

Senegal’s Museum of Black Civilizations is one of those must-visit museums in Africa. Even though this museum opened its doors to the public in 2018, it undoubtedly has a lot to offer, especially to anyone interest in African cultures. The Museum of Black Civilization continues to gain global recognition because it captures black civilization accurately.

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa

As the name suggests, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa showcases contemporary African art pieces. Located in Cape Town, South Africa, these museums rank highly among contemporary art museums. Suppose you are looking for a museum that gives a true reflection of the evolution of African art, you should assuredly visit the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa.

Nairobi Museum

Kenya is one of those African nations that feature prominently in African history. A visit to the Nairobi Museum, located in Kenya’s capital, will undoubtedly help you understand the country’s culture, nature, and human history. This museum is also located in a unique setting that features stunning outdoor sculptures and botanical gardens that leave anyone visiting in awe even before experiencing what the museum has to offer. The Nairobi Museum also holds exciting exhibitions that showcase cultural practices ranging from birth initiation, marriage, and recreation to death rites.

Benin City National Museum

The Benin City National Museum first opened in 1973. This museum endeavors to capture Nigerian history with a huge collection of artifacts from the Benin Empire. Through the features showcased here, visitors are also able to understand Nigerian’s ancient cultures. It is also a great museum for anyone who loves having souvenirs – you only need to visit their gift shop and grab a few.

Iziko Museum

The Iziko South African Museum is one of the best cultural destinations in Africa. This museum features south African cultural artifacts and hosts events aimed at helping visitors build connections with South African roots. It is worth noting that the Iziko South African Museum has 11 different locations across Cape Town, each focusing on unique historical pieces.

House of Slaves

Back to Senegal, the House of Slaves Museums in Dakar carves a unique niche considering that it is located in a place that slaves previously inhabited. A visit to this museum will undoubtedly help you appreciate the horrifying situations that befell slaves. This museum captures the pain that Africans experienced in the past.

Top Five Museums to Visit in Kenya

Anyone with a keen interest in human history and cultural history would probably be interested in visiting Kenya. This East African nation is known worlds over for welcoming flocks of tourists. Besides its vast national parks and other notable attractions, Kenya is home to an extensive collection of impressive museums. The works present in these Kenyan museums largely come from historical collections from both local and international artists. That said, here are some museums worth visiting on your next trip to Kenya.

Nairobi National Museum

The Nairobi National Museum is located in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. This museum made its debut in 1910, following well-coordinated efforts from some naturalists. Anyone visiting this museum is welcomed with a vast collection of historical collections, artifacts, cultural pieces, and contemporary art, along with an impressive botanical garden.

Fort Jesus

Located in Mombasa, the Fort Jesus museum was initially created to guard the old port of Mombasa, following an order from King Philip I of Portugal. This museum’s architecture is considerably impressive, build in the shape of a man lies on their back facing the sea. It also houses a vast collection of archeological artifacts showcasing the country’s rich history.

Kitale Museum

The Kitale Museum is located in a small town in the western province of Kenya. This museum goes down as the first domestic museum. A visit to this museum will undoubtedly help give you a true taste of Kenya’s cultural diversity, thanks to vast collections from various Kenyan tribes.

Lamu Fort Museum

The Lamu Fort Museum is located on the Northern Kenyan coast. This museum is largely considered a focal point in showcasing the rich history of the Swahili people. The Lamu Fort Museum has a collection of artifacts on Lamu and the Kenyan coast. Besides being an international attraction, this museum also doubles up as a community center for the locals.

Malindi Museum

The Malindo Museum is located in Malindi. This museum hosts a famous historical pillar of Vasco Da Gama. This double-story museum captures the culture and traditions of the coastal people wholly. The Malindi Museum has a rich collection featuring musical instruments, utensils, tools, attire, and ancient tools. And most importantly, there are also artifacts from early Arabs who settled in the town.

Narok Museum

The Narok Museum is located in Narok, a town largely inhabited by the Maasai people. In light of this, this museum focuses on showcasing the cultural and heritage values of the Maasai people. It’s one of the best places to visit for a refresher of the rich Maasai culture.

Must-Visit Egyptian Museums

Egypt is home to some of the most spectacular treasures in human history. Some of these treasures were inaccessible in the past. However, this Middle Eastern nation has opened itself to the world by building a flurry of museums to display its rich heritage. Here is a list of top museums to visit in Egypt.

The Egyptian Museum

The Egyptian Museum is relatively more than a century old, having debuted in 1902. This palace-like museum is undoubtedly the world’s premier showcase of Egyptian artifacts. It features a massive collection of more than 120,000 pieces, ranging from kids’ toys, intricate jewelry, and papyrus scrolls to colossal statues.

Nubia Museum

Perched close to the mighty River Nile, the Nubian Museum serves both a cultural and historical heritage of the Nubia. The pieces showcased on this website are largely from Southern Egypt and some parts of North Sudan that the Nubians mostly inhabited. The artifacts stored in this museum span from prehistoric times through to the Islamic age. It is worth noting that some of the objects stored here might have been collected from the ruins of the city of Meroe.

Bibliotheca Alexandria

The Bibliotheca Alexandria was rebuild from the ancient library of Alexandria that had been destroyed by the Romans in the third century AD. This museum holds four museums that showcase Egyptian antiques, manuscripts, and several exhibits. According to the museum’s mission statement, the antiques in Bibliotheca Alexandria are devoted to shedding light on the consecutive eras of Egypt’s history thanks to its rich database of ancient monuments.

A visit to any of the Museums in Egypt will undoubtedly help you appreciate human history. Recent developments along the Nile have seen some museums relocate from Cairo. This has further made it easy to make you appreciate what Egypt has to offer.

Best Photography Museums

Like history, the best way to understand photography is by looking at some historical pieces, especially those from accomplished photographers. The good news is that some museums focus on showcasing the works of the best photographers. Analyzing award-winning photos teaches a lot more than what you might learn from photography books. That said, here are some of the best photography museums with a global appeal.

The Museum of Contemporary Photography

Located in New York, is one of the best places you can get great photos in the US. This museum was founded in 1974, focusing on social and political images. Those interested in deciphering the role of photography can also participate in many open forums hosted by this museum.

Lianzhou Museum of Photography

The Lianzhou Museum of Photography went down in history as the first state-funded photography museum. This museum collects and exhibits both Chinese and international photography. Its vast collection of famous photos is a testament to the fact that great photography museums are not just located in Europe or the US.

Photographers’ Gallery

The Photographers’ Gallery is located in London. This photography museum was founded in 1971, making it the first photography gallery. A standout attribute of this gallery is that it showcases photography in all its forms.

Photography Museums in New York

New York ranks as one of the best cities to visit for photography fan. Many galleries are dedicated to photography of different genres and times. Here are some of the best photography museums that you can visit in New York.

International Center of Photography

The International Center of Photography (ICP) is a premier photography museum that hosts a diverse collection of works from top photographers. Located in the new Essex Crossing development, this museum is a must-see for any photography enthusiast.

Museum of Modern Art

Located in Midtown, New York, the Museum of Modern art is known for its vast collection of paintings and sculptures. However, it also houses more than 25,000 photographs, making it one of the best photography museums.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art is located in Upper East Side, New York. This photography museum holds a collection of more than 75,000 from some of the best photographers. Besides photographers, this museum features more than two million curated pieces of art.

Looking at the pieces in any of these museums, it is evident that New York treasures photography as a piece of art. Other notable photography museums worth visiting include the Museum City of New York and the Fotografiska New York.