Egypt: Past and Present

A project connecting Egyptian communities in Scotland with Egyptian collections and creating space for dialogue around the display and interpretation of Egyptian heritage.

Last updated: 17 February 2026

About the project

Unequal power dynamics between UK museums and Egyptian communities are rooted in colonial histories that enabled foreign collectors and institutions to acquire, interpret, and display Egyptian heritage with little to no Egyptian input. 

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, museums collected ancient Egyptian objects that appealed to European audiences, but these collections do not accurately reflect the relationship between Egypt past and present. Furthermore, the disconnection of ‘ancient Egypt’ from the rest of Egyptian history and the commodification of Egyptian antiquities have often served to alienate Egyptians from their own ancient heritage. 

Today, National Museums Scotland, home to the largest Egyptian collection in Scotland, is working to address these legacies by creating opportunities for dialogue, collaboration, and shared understanding with the communities whose heritage is represented in our collections.

This project forms part of our ongoing efforts to foster meaningful conversation around the museum’s Egyptian collections, to research and communicate their colonial histories and legacies, and to provide space for consultation and co-creation with Egyptian communities in Scotland.  

Through a series of community workshops, the project aims to ensure that the voices and perspectives of Egyptians are represented in the museum’s understanding of Egyptian heritage and in the ways in which the museum presents its Egyptian collections.  

اعرف أكتر عن مشروع مصر: الماضي والحاضر بالمصري

Reconnecting Egyptian heritage and communities  

Historically little attention has been paid to the impact of colonial legacies on modern Egyptian communities. Nevertheless, National Museums Scotland has been researching these histories and exploring ways to share more information about its collections with Egyptian community members.

In 2019-2022, National Museums Scotland partnered with the AHRC-funded project Egypt’s Dispersed Heritage: views from Egypt, which sought to share the history of the dispersal of Egyptian artefacts and to foster dialogue with Egyptian communities.  

We continue to explore ways in which Egyptian perspectives, frequently underrepresented in traditional museum displays, might be more effectively incorporated into the interpretation and presentation of Egyptian heritage and collections.

The first workshop took place at the National Museum of Scotland on 7 February 2026, and was designed, in collaboration with Lama Said, Egyptian PhD candidate at University of Edinburgh, as an open and welcoming gathering for members of the Egyptian community living in Scotland.  

Participants had the opportunity to share their lived experience about their Egyptian heritage. They visited the Ancient Egypt Rediscovered gallery and shared their perspectives on how Egyptian heritage is represented. A ‘found writing’ activity led by Edinburgh-based Egyptian writer and ceramicist Mohamed Tonsy provided an opportunity for creative responses to the museum collections.  

This project aligns with the National Museums Scotland Approach to Participatory Practice; as such, participants are recognised as experts based on their lived experience and are remunerated for their time.  

As the museum’s first direct collaboration with the Egyptian community in Scotland, the Egypt: Past and Present community workshops aim to foster connections, share collections and learn about community perceptions of Egyptian heritage.