Museum of Egyptian Revolution Vividly Chronicles Uprising

December 19, 2012

Activists in Egypt have created a makeshift museum to chronicle the last two years of uprisings and political protest. A branch of the museum has been set up across the street from the presidential palace in Cairo.

Opposition protests continue several nights a week in front of the presidential palace. But during the day, when the street is more quiet, anyone passing by can stop in at the Museum of the Egyptian Revolution, a roofless collection of wooden frames draped with plastic-covered photos and written memories.

Wael Abu el-Leil is one of the museum's founders. "If you will see from here, it's the first day. All the cars and the police when they attacked the people. And after that the battle of camel," he said.

He is proud of the collection, and said it serves an important purpose for Egyptians who come by to see it.

"It's the Facebook and Twitter for everybody, because about 80 percent of Egyptian people haven't got an account on Facebook and Twitter, and they didn't have a connection with the young people who made the revolution, and they didn't think about how they feel," said el-Leil. "Anyone who wants to write anything, he goes inside. We have a designer. He can say what he wants and we will put it on the paper. And if he wants to put it on the wall we will put it for him. The day after, he will come with family, and the family will write also. It's the same way as the Facebook and Twitter."