After years of delays, the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum – set to be the world’s largest devoted to ancient Egypt – will finally open its doors near the Giza pyramids.
The opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which has been more than twenty years in the making, had been slated to open its doors back in 2013.
After countless delays – from the Covid-19 pandemic to regional instability – the grand unveiling is now set for 1 November.
Located just a stone’s throw from the pyramids of Giza, the museum will be the largest archaeological and antiquities museum in the world dedicated entirely to ancient Egypt.
In October 2024, GEM offered a sneak peek, opening its first 12 galleries to around 4,000 lucky visitors.
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Monumental design
The final phase, planned for 2025, will unveil the Tutankhamun treasure rooms. Some 5,000 objects from the boy king’s tomb – including his world-famous gold funerary mask – will go on show.
Designed by Irish architect Roisin Heneghan, the building features a facade of translucent alabaster.
Its north and south walls are precisely aligned with two of the Great Pyramids – those of Khufu and Menkaure – creating a direct visual link between past and present.
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100,000 artefacts
“This museum is the largest in the world dedicated to a single civilisation – in this case, ancient Egypt,” Ahmed Ghoneim, director of the Grand Egyptian Museum, told RFI.
“It’s a museum that embraces the latest scientific innovations, using state-of-the-art technology to restore and conserve artefacts.
“It also reflects the most modern museography, with carefully curated displays that bring history to life. We’re proud that Egypt can share this with the world.”
More than 100,000 artefacts from Egypt’s ancient past will be displayed across 22,000 square metres of exhibition space.
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A billion-dollar wonder
Building the museum has cost more than one billion dollars, a investment covered in part by international touring exhibitions of Egypt’s most iconic treasures, including those of King Tutankhamun and Ramses II.
In 2019, the exhibition "Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh" drew nearly 1.5 million visitors to Paris’s Grande Halle de la Villette – a record-breaking success that helped raise funds for the GEM project.
With its grand opening finally approaching, the Grand Egyptian Museum aims to welcome up to five million visitors each year.
This was adapted from an original article by RFI's Spanish service and lightly edited for clarity.
