By Pablo de Aguinaco
Cairo (EFE).- Egypt will inaugurate the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) on Nov. 1, marking the long-awaited opening of what will be the world’s largest archaeological complex dedicated to a single civilization.
Located just two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Pyramids of Giza, the museum will house more than 100,000 artifacts spanning 7,000 years of history, including treasures never before seen by the public.
“The Grand Egyptian Museum will be a new home for Egypt’s eternal heritage, a space where the ancient world meets modern technology,” said Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathy.
A monumental project two decades in the making
The GEM covers an area of 500,000 square meters (approximately 5,382,000 square feet), double the size of the Louvre Museum, with 167,000 square meters (approximately 1,800,000 square feet) of built space.
Its triangular design faces the pyramids of Khufu and Menkaure, and its limestone-and-alabaster façade is guarded by a colossal 12-meter (39.4-feet) statue of Ramses II, weighing 83 tons.
The museum’s opening follows more than 20 years of construction and 1.2 billion dollars in investment, much of it financed by Japanese loans.
The project faced multiple delays since its original announcement in 2002, but now stands ready to welcome around five million visitors annually.
“After two decades of planning and hard work, this is more than a museum; it’s a national symbol,” said project director Atef Moftah in earlier statements.
Admission prices will be 1,450 Egyptian pounds (about 26 dollars) for foreign adults and 200 pounds (3.30 dollars) for Egyptian nationals.
The museum also features gardens, plazas, and a vast underground restoration center, the largest in the Middle East, spanning 12,300 square meters (40,354 square feet).
Treasures of Tuntankhamun and other ancient masterpieces
Among the museum’s main attractions is the complete funerary collection of Tutankhamun, 5,398 objects displayed together for the first time in a 7,500-square-meter (approximately 24,600 square feet) gallery.
Visitors will see the pharaoh’s solid gold funerary mask, his three sarcophagi (one made of 110 kilograms of gold), royal chariot, jewelry, and ceremonial furniture.
“For the first time since Howard Carter opened the tomb in 1925, all the treasures of Tutankhamun will be reunited under one roof,” said Egyptologist Mohamed Saleh.
The vast interior includes the 6,000-square-meter (19,700-square-feet) Grand Staircase, lined with 87 colossal statues, and the Obelisk Plaza, a 27,000-square-meter (88,600-square-feet) entrance hall featuring a suspended obelisk.
Other highlights include two reconstructed solar boats of Pharaoh Khufu and iconic artifacts such as the 5,000-year-old Palette of Narmer, the colossal head of Akhenaten, and the gilded chair of Queen Hetepheres.
A boost for Egypt’s cultural tourism
The opening comes amid a revival of Egypt’s tourism sector, which has rebounded to pre-2011 levels.
In 2024, the country welcomed a record 15.7 million visitors, generating 16.7 billion dollars in revenue, according to official data.
The museum’s debut is expected to further cement Egypt’s status as a global hub for cultural tourism.
“This is Egypt’s gift to the world, a bridge between our past and the future,” said Minister Fathy.
Fathy also added that the museum’s debut is expected to further cement Egypt’s status as a global hub for cultural tourism. EFE
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