The long-awaited museum, situated just over a mile from the Great Pyramid of Khufu, showcases more than 100,000 ancient artefacts spanning 7,000 years of history. The sprawling, $1 billion complex represents both a tribute to Egypt’s pharaonic legacy and a cornerstone of its tourism revival strategy.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi presided over the grand opening ceremony on November 1, which featured a drone light show, live performances, and an illuminated backdrop of the Giza plateau. The event drew dignitaries, global leaders, and Egyptologists from around the world.
“This museum reflects the heart of Egypt — our heritage, our innovation, and our promise to the world,” el-Sisi said during his address.
Designed by Dublin-based Heneghan Peng Architects, the Grand Egyptian Museum, or GEM, was constructed to align with the Great Pyramid visually. Its limestone façade mirrors the desert’s natural tones, while interior spaces are designed to provide visitors with sweeping views of the ancient monuments outside.
At the museum’s entrance stands a towering 37-foot statue of Ramesses II, transported from Ramses Square in Cairo to the museum’s atrium in 2018. Behind it rises the “Grand Staircase,” lined with colossal sculptures leading upward through Egypt’s dynastic history.
Among the museum’s centerpiece exhibits is the complete collection of Tutankhamun’s tomb, displayed together for the first time since its discovery in 1922. Over 5,000 artefacts, many never before seen, trace the life, death, and symbolism of the boy king.
The museum also houses massive reliefs, sarcophagi, jewelry, tools, and mummies from various dynasties, as well as dedicated conservation and research laboratories now among the largest in the region.
Egyptian officials hope the museum will draw up to 8 million visitors annually, revitalizing tourism that suffered after political unrest and the pandemic. The GEM’s opening is also seen as a national statement reaffirming Egypt’s role as the guardian of its own heritage and strengthening calls for the return of artefacts such as the Rosetta Stone, currently held at the British Museum.
Archaeologist Zahi Hawass called the opening “a dream fulfilled for generations of Egyptians,” adding that “the Grand Egyptian Museum connects modern Egypt to its ancient soul.”
