The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is set to open fully this Saturday, following a soft launch in 2024, which saw visitors welcomed into some areas.
Located just outside Cairo, the massive complex is set to be the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilisation, featuring over 50,000 artefacts that depict life in ancient Egypt.
This includes an 83-ton colossus of Ramesses II, which is approximately 3,200 years old, as well as a 4,500-year-old boat belonging to Khufu, the pharaoh known for constructing the pyramids.
Construction of the museum started in 2005, but was halted for three years due to political upheaval following the 2011 uprising. The grand opening was delayed several times, most recently in July due to conflicts in the Middle East.
Ancient artefacts meet modern technology
Designed by Heneghan Peng Architects, the museum features a towering, triangular glass façade that mimics the nearby pyramids.
GEM offers 24,000 square metres of permanent exhibition space, a dedicated children’s museum, conference and educational facilities, a commercial zone, and a sizable conservation centre. The 12 main galleries, which opened last year, display antiquities from prehistoric periods through the Roman era, arranged by era and theme.
Many artefacts were relocated from the Egyptian Museum, a crowded, century-old building in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Others were recently discovered in ancient cemeteries, such as the Saqqara necropolis, a site of pyramids and tombs roughly 14 miles south of the museum.
Ahmed Ghoneim, the museum’s CEO, informed reporters that the halls are equipped with advanced technology and feature multimedia presentations, including mixed-reality shows, to blend heritage with 21st-century innovation for future audiences.
Saturday’s grand opening will feature the inauguration of two halls showcasing 5,000 artefacts from King Tutankhamun's collection, displayed in full for the first time since Howard Carter uncovered King Tut’s tomb in 1922. The old Egyptian Museum lacked the space to exhibit all the tomb’s treasures at once.
Hassan Allam, CEO of Hassan Allam Holding, which manages the museum, stated that they anticipate daily visitors ranging from 15,000 to 20,000.
“The world has been waiting … Everyone’s excited,” he said.
Via an Instagram post earlier this year, GEM said the opening will be "marked by international attendance and special cultural activations, celebrating Egypt’s timeless heritage on a global stage".
