Egypt has officially opened the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), touted as the world’s largest archaeological museum, near the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza. Spanning 500,000 square metres, roughly the size of 70 football pitches, the museum showcases around 100,000 artefacts covering seven millennia of Egyptian history, from pre-dynastic times to the Greek and Roman periods.
Tutankhamun’s Tomb Revealed Completely
The centerpiece of the GEM is the entire contents of Tutankhamun’s tomb, displayed together for the first time since its discovery in 1922 by British Egyptologist Howard Carter. Visitors can see the boy king’s gold mask, throne, chariots, and other treasures as a complete collection, providing a unique historical experience. Dr Tarek Tawfik, president of the International Association of Egyptologists, said the aim was to give visitors “the complete experience, the way Howard Carter had it over a hundred years ago.”
Boosting Tourism and National Pride
Costing $1.2 billion, the museum is expected to attract up to 8 million visitors annually, providing a major boost to Egypt’s tourism sector. Ahmed Seddik, a guide near the Giza Plateau, called the GEM “a new golden age of Egyptology and cultural tourism.” International tourists have expressed excitement over the fully curated exhibits, noting that the GEM offers a more organized and comprehensive experience than the old museum in Tahrir Square.
Iconic Artefacts and Architectural Marvels
Among the museum’s highlights are the 4,500-year-old funerary boat of Khufu, a 16-metre suspended obelisk of Ramesses II, and his massive 11-metre-high statue. Visitors will also encounter a grand staircase lined with statues of ancient rulers and a viewing window framing the Giza pyramids. The building’s exterior is clad in alabaster hieroglyphs and features a pyramid-shaped entrance.
A Symbol of Egyptian Heritage and Repatriation Efforts
The GEM has strengthened calls to repatriate key Egyptian antiquities held abroad, such as the Rosetta Stone in London, the Dendera Zodiac in Paris, and the Nefertiti Bust in Berlin. Egypt’s former tourism and antiquities minister, Dr Zahi Hawass, emphasized that the museum demonstrates Egypt’s ability to preserve and restore its heritage, while serving as a center for academic research and international collaboration.
From Vision to Reality
First proposed in 1992 and under construction since 2005, the GEM has overcome financial crises, political upheaval, the Arab Spring, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Its completion marks a milestone in modern Egyptian archaeology and curation, showcasing both ancient and contemporary Egypt.
