The Egyptian Urbs

This fall, Rome will be welcoming the pharaohs like never before. Starting in November, the Scuderie del Quirinale will unveil a major exhibition dedicated to the mystique and majesty of Ancient Egypt. Called Treasures of the Pharahos, the exhibition is a spellbinding journey through the world of temples, tombs, and timeless deities—right in the heart of the Eternal City (more details on page 48). But this isn’t Rome’s first encounter with Egypt. The city has long been under Egypt’s spell. Here is a list of Rome’s most famous Egyptian treasures.

Cleopatra’s capital
The roots of Rome’s Egyptomania run deep. It all began with Cleopatra, the enigmatic queen who conquered not lands, but hearts: Julius Caesar’s and Mark Antony’s, to be precise. The ripple effect of her influence reached beyond politics and into the realm of culture, architecture, and obsession. You can still meet her gaze in the Centrale Montemartini museum, where a serene marble bust of Cleopatra immortalizes the queen who seduced an empire.

The obelisk empire
With 13 ancient Egyptian obelisks, the Eternal City boasts more of these sun-god spires than any other city in the world, Egypt included. The obelisks, which were originally symbols of divine power, were brought to Rome as symbols of conquest. Marvel at their majesty in St. Peter’s Square, Piazza San Giovanni, Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore, Piazza del Popolo, and Piazza Navona, where Bernini’s dramatic Fountain of the Four Rivers cradles one like a jewel.

A pyramid in the heart of Rome
Perhaps the most unexpected sight in Rome is a 120-foot pyramid. Built around 18 BC, the Pyramid of Gaius Cestius is a dazzling Nubian-style tomb honoring a Roman consul captivated by Egyptian grandeur. Integrated into the Aurelian Walls, it remains one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in the city—a slice of the Nile nestled near Testaccio.

Anubis in a toga? Visit the Vatican Museums
One of the most surprising blends of Roman and Egyptian aesthetics is found in the Gregorian Egyptian Museum at the Vatican Museums. Among its treasures is a Roman-style statue of the god Anubis, sculpted with a jackal’s head atop a human body draped in a classical toga—an extraordinary hybrid of cultures and belief systems.
And that’s just the beginning. At the museu you’ll also find mummies, canopic jars, sarcophagi, and more. Don’t miss the two majestic basalt lions, inscribed with hieroglyphs and dating to the 4th century BC, resting in the Pinecone Courtyard.

The Magic Door and the gods who guard it
In the gardens of Piazza Vittorio, you’ll find one of Rome’s most mystical relics: the Magic Door (Porta Alchemica), the last surviving remnant of a 17th-century alchemical laboratory. What makes it even more otherworldly are the two Egyptian gods—Bes figures—flanking the portal. Often considered guardians of esoteric knowledge, their wild, protective faces add a layer of ancient magic to Rome’s spiritual heritage (read more info on page 56).

Cats, lions, and a colossal foot
Egyptian echoes resound in stone throughout the city. Look up on Via della Gatta to find a sly feline perched on a ledge, a tribute to Isis, the beloved goddess of magic and motherhood. Around the corner on Via del Pie’ di Marmo, a solitary giant marble foot, once part of a statue of Isis, evokes the scale and splendor of Roman-Egyptian devotion. Meanwhile, four majestic lions—two at the Capitoline Hill and two more in the Vatican Museums—continue to spout water and hieroglyphs across centuries.