This Saturday, Egypt will unveil the Grand Egyptian Museum, a project that has taken two decades to come together. The goal? To draw more visitors and give a boost to the country’s tourism sector.
Sitting on the Giza Plateau, not far from Cairo, the museum is set to be the largest in the world dedicated solely to a single civilization.
Visitors can look forward to seeing over 50,000 artifacts that capture the essence of life in ancient Egypt.
Leaders from around the globe—monarchs, heads of state, and various officials—are anticipated to attend the grand opening, described by the Egyptian Presidency as “an exceptional event in the history of human culture and civilization.”
This museum represents one of the significant projects that President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has championed since taking office in 2014.
His administration has launched a substantial investment initiative aimed at revitalizing an economy that has faced stagnation and challenges from uprisings since the 2011 Arab Spring.
The preparations for the opening have been tightly controlled, almost secretive.
While the museum had allowed a limited number of visitors in previous years, it has been closed for the last two weeks.
The area around the museum and the nearby Giza Pyramids has undergone significant redevelopment, including paved roads and the construction of a metro station right outside the museum.
Additionally, Sphinx International Airport, located about 40 minutes from the museum, recently opened to improve accessibility from Cairo.
After a $1 billion investment, the facility has faced various delays; construction began in 2005 but was paused due to political upheaval.
Known as GEM, the museum’s striking triangular glass façade is designed to echo the nearby pyramids and features 258,000 square feet of dedicated exhibition space.
Upon entering, a grand six-story staircase adorned with ancient statues leads visitors to the main gallery, offering stunning views of the pyramids.
Visitors will find that GEM and the pyramids are connected by a bridge, allowing for easy travel between the two either on foot or via electric vehicles.
The museum’s 12 main galleries, which opened last year, feature exhibits from prehistoric to Roman times, organized by both period and theme.
Notably, two halls will showcase 5,000 artifacts from King Tutankhamun’s collection—it’s the first time these pieces will be fully exhibited since their discovery by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922.
Zahi Hawass, a well-known Egyptian archaeologist and former antiquities minister, described the Tutankhamun collection as the museum’s jewel. He said, “Why is this museum so important and everyone is waiting for it to open? Because of Tutankhamun.”
The impressive collection includes Tutankhamun’s three funerary beds, six chariots, a golden throne, a gold-covered sarcophagus, and a burial mask made from gold, quartzite, lapis lazuli, and glass.
The hope is that the museum will draw more tourists who will stay longer, thereby injecting much-needed foreign currency into the economy.
Egypt’s tourism sector, already battered by years of political instability and violence post-2011, is showing signs of recovery, particularly since the recent challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine have eased, with both countries becoming key sources of visitors to Egypt.
Last year, a record 15.7 million tourists visited Egypt, contributing about 8% to the nation’s GDP. The goal is to reach 30 million tourists annually by 2032.
Starting Tuesday, the museum will officially open its doors to the public.
