A TOWERING PAIR OF STATUES of the ferocious-looking lion-headed goddess Sekhmet stand at the entrance of the Egyptian Museum of Turin. The imposing statues seem to be both guarding and inviting the visitor to explore the archeological treasures within.   

The Egyptian Museum of Turin is one of the oldest collections of Ancient Egyptian artifacts in the world. It dates back to the 1750s, when King Emanuelle III instructed and funded the expedition of the famed Italian botanist Vitaliano Donati. The expedition returned from Egypt with 300 artifacts from the Karnak temple complex.