After Egypt's independence from Britain during the July 1952 Revolution, the new regime established the Ministry of National Guidance in November of that year, giving it wide responsibilities over broadcasting, journalism, press attaches and film censoring, as well as managing tourism, museums, theatre productions, and popular culture.

[1][2] It was considered based on the French model, but also shaped by the experiments of various Eastern Bloc countries with centralized production and dissemination of culture.

[4][2] During president Anwar Sadat's regime, the ministry was renamed and restructured a number of times.

[10] In November, 2018 the Ministry participated in the second annual Music Festival in Corsica.

[11] In January 2001, the Egyptian Ministry of Culture was criticized for withdrawing three novels of homoerotic poetry by the well-known 8th Century classical Arabic poet Abu Nuwas from circulation.