Pharaohs, Gods & The Quest For Eternity: Ancient Egypt Comes To Malta

Few civilisations capture the imagination quite like Ancient Egypt. From towering pyramids and powerful pharaohs to mysterious hieroglyphs, the civilisation continues to fascinate through its extraordinary achievements, beliefs and human stories.

Heritage Malta, in collaboration with the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, the Netherlands, is inviting visitors to explore this world through Living for Eternity: The Ancient Egyptians, an exhibition taking place at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta from 21st November 2026 to 16th May 2027.

The exhibition explores Egyptian history, religion, writing, daily life and beliefs surrounding the afterlife.

Visitors can discover how jewellery, cosmetics, music and household objects shaped everyday experiences, while amulets, temple rituals and funerary traditions reveal a society deeply connected to spirituality.

At the heart of the exhibition is the statue of Neferʿabu, known as ‘a workman in the Place of Truth’. He belonged to the community of Deir el-Medina in modern Luxor, Upper Egypt, where workers, artists and scribes created and decorated royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

The exhibition also highlights Malta’s own Egyptian collection, with a substantial part of the National Museum of Archaeology’s holdings being displayed publicly for the first time.

Much of the collection was donated by Lord Grenfell, Governor of Malta between 1899 and 1903, with recent research confirming that around 80% of the artefacts are authentic.

The partnership with Leiden’s Rijksmuseum van Oudheden brings further expertise and selected objects from its collection, strengthening cultural exchange and research opportunities. Visitors can also explore selected objects through the Smartify app.

#MaltaDaily