Kharga Museum or (Museum of el-Wadi el-Gadid); it is one of the latest in the Egyptian Ministry of Culture’s regional museums plan. The museum of Antiquities of Al Kharga built from local bricks to echo the style of early Christian architecture seen at Bagawat, the museum houses artifacts ranging from the Egyptian Prehistoric Period right through to the Islamic Era.The museum is open daily from 9 till 3 and it is located in the city of Al Kharga.
Kharga Museum, housed in a new building constructed to resemble the tombs of Bagawat, contains Pharaonic and Islamic antiquities found in the new Valley. There are three levels; two currently open to the public and a third for a future library. The museum contains a great quantity of coins and jewelry from all periods of Egyptian history.
The displays are located on the first two of the building’s three floors, bringing to life the historical human journey through the deserts of Egypt. On the first floor the collection includes items such as prehistoric tools, ostrich eggs, masks, Roman glass items, and Greek and Roman coins from Muzawwaqa, Zayyan, and Kharga and many other artifacts found in the Western Desert, indicating the presence of man here from the earliest times. Many of these items have been found by members of the Dakhla Oasis Project during their excavations over the past decades and well-displayed with the help of the Royal Ontario Museum’s Kharga Prehistory Project, complete with hand-printed object labels in Arabic and English.
The second floor houses Christian and Islamic artifacts from the oases; from the 3rd century on wards, including many religious items as well as articles of cultural interest from the more recent heritage of the region. Artifacts include textiles, icons, pottery and ceramics, books and coins. On loan from the Coptic Museum in Cairo there are 18th century wooden painted icons depicting the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus; and another with the universal motif of the martyr Mari Girgis (St George) killing the Dragon.
A whole room is devoted to silver, plates, tablecloths, and other items from the Manial Palace in Cairo. Many other Islamic cultural artifacts are displayed including several coin collections. There are also many folk items which reflect the customs and traditions of the New Valley.