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Agence France-Presse

Nestled near the Giza pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), featuring a towering statue of Ramses II and more than 100,000 artefacts, including Tutankhamen’s golden treasures, is preparing for a lavish opening.
After two decades of planning, the GEM is set to open fully on July 3, following a partial opening in October.
Its long-awaited debut comes after years of delays caused by political instability, economic crises and the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Ahmed Ghoneim, the museum’s director, said the inauguration could span several days, with celebrations extending beyond the museum and pyramids to sites across Egypt and abroad.

“It will be a spectacular showcase of Egypt’s historical and touristic potential,” Ghoneim told Egypt’s ON TV.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has invited US President Donald Trump and Spain’s King Felipe VI to attend the ceremony.
“This museum is the (world’s) largest museum for a single civilisation, which is the Pharaonic civilisation,” Sisi said in December.
Spanning 50 hectares (123 acres), the GEM is twice the size of Paris’ Louvre and New York’s Metropolitan Museum, and 2½ times that of the British Museum, according to its director.
I cannot get over how the lighting is. It is just atmospheric and helpful, and you end up just drawn to everything that is around
Philippa Hunt, tourist from the United Kingdom
“The landscape of Egypt contributed to this rich civilisation and we wanted to reflect that in the design,” said Roisin Heneghan, co-founder of Dublin-based Heneghan Peng Architects – the firm behind the museum’s design.
“You see the pieces in the museum in the context of the pyramids. You are reminded of the place where this all happened,” she said.
An 11-metre (36-foot) statue of Ramses II greets visitors, leading to a grand staircase lined with statues of pharaohs, gods and sarcophagi, and ending at a window framing the pyramids.
Currently, 12 galleries display around 15,000 artefacts arranged chronologically from prehistory to the Greco-Roman period.

They include Queen Hetepheres’ treasures, such as her intricately carved armchair, which spent years tucked away in the old Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square.
Even before the official opening, the museum left some of its first visitors awestruck.
“I cannot get over how the lighting is. It is just atmospheric and helpful, and you end up just drawn to everything that is around,” said Philippa Hunt, a tourist from the United Kingdom.
South African visitor Leon Wolmarans said the GEM was a significant upgrade from the old one.

“This is much better organised, much better lit. The architecture is impressive,” he said.
Among the most anticipated displays for the grand opening are the treasures of Tutankhamen, including his iconic gold mask, which will take pride of place in a dedicated gallery.
More than 5,000 Tutankhamen artefacts have been transferred to the GEM, and his full collection, including his sarcophagus and the embalmed remains of his daughters, will be revealed at the official opening.
The GEM will also show a 44-metre-long cedarwood solar barque, buried near the Great Pyramid around 2500BC.
There will be easy transport options to and from the museum, making it accessible from anywhere. This will definitely transform Egypt’s tourism industry
Elhamy al-Zayat, former chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation
Another boat, still being restored, will offer an immersive experience, with visitors watching conservators at work over the next three years.
With cutting-edge technology such as virtual reality and interactive exhibits, the GEM promises a fresh take on storytelling, making history come alive for younger generations.
The museum website lists entry prices starting at 200 Egyptian pounds (about US$4) for adult nationals, and 1,200 pounds for foreigners.
Beyond archaeology, the GEM is central to Egypt’s efforts to revive an economy battered by inflation and debt.

The GEM is expected to attract five million visitors annually, adding to a record 15.7 million tourists in 2024.
Elhamy El-Zayat, former chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, said the museum’s proximity to the newly opened Sphinx International Airport, the pyramids and a growing number of nearby hotels will be a game-changer for Egypt’s tourism sector.
“There will be easy transport options to and from the museum, making it accessible from anywhere,” he said.
“This will definitely transform Egypt’s tourism industry.”


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A colossal statue of King Ramses II greets visitors to the Grand Egyptian Museum. Photo: AFP

The Grand Egyptian Museum, in Giza, Cairo will fully open in July 2025. Twice as big as the Louvre in Paris, it will show more than 100,000 artefacts from Ancient Egypt. Photo: AFP

An ancient Egyptian statue, one of the more than 100,000 artefacts that will be displayed at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt. Photo: AFP

Visitors walk next to the 3,200-year-old pink-granite statue of King Ramses II at the entrance of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Photo: AFP

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Visitors outside the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, outside Cairo. Photo: AFP

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Lifestyle

Travel & Leisure

Arts

Treasures of Tutankhamen will take pride of place when the museum, showing more than 100,000 artefacts from Egypt’s golden age, opens fully


Treasures of Tutankhamen will take pride of place when the museum, showing more than 100,000 artefacts from Egypt’s golden age, opens fully.


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Egypt