A vast $1bn museum billed as the world’s largest archaeological facility dedicated to a single civilisation will open outside Cairo on Saturday, November 1, after countless delays over the course of its two-decade construction, reported Associated Press.
The Grand Egyptian Museum, located a mile away from the pyramids of Giza, covers an area of 4,70,000 sq metres. The complex was announced in 1992, but it was not until 2005 that construction began. Some areas of the museum opened in a soft launch in 2024.
Treasures from ancient Egypt
More than 50,000 items will be housed in the museum, including an 83-ton, 3,200-year-old colossus of Ramesses II and a 4,500-year-old boat belonging to Khufu, the pharaoh credited with building the pyramids.
The museum includes 24,000 sq metres of permanent exhibition space, a children’s museum, conference and educational facilities, a commercial area and a large conservation centre. The 12 main galleries, which opened last year, exhibit antiquities spanning from prehistoric times to the Roman era, organised by era and theme.
Many of the artefacts were moved from the Egyptian Museum, a packed, century-old building in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Others were recently unearthed from ancient cemeteries, including the Saqqara necropolis, another complex of pyramids and tombs about 14 miles south of the museum.
Tech-driven experience for new generations
Ahmed Ghoneim, the museum’s CEO, told reporters that the halls have advanced technology and feature multimedia presentations, including mixed-reality shows, to merge its timeless heritage with 21st-century creativity for new generations.
“We’re using the language that gen Z uses,” he said. “Gen Z doesn’t use the labels that we read as old people and would rather use technology.”
Delayed opening
The grand opening was postponed several times, most recently in July, because of conflicts in the Middle East, including the Gaza crisis. World leaders are expected to attend the opening ceremony alongside the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Before the opening, firework displays were reportedly tested at the Giza pyramids, which have a new connecting walkway to the museum.
The complex is part of a big infrastructure push in Egypt that includes a metro system under construction and an airport that began operations in 2020.
The museum opens as questions are being asked about the safety of artefacts in Egypt. In recent weeks, two artefacts have been stolen, including a 3,000-year-old gold pharaoh’s bracelet taken from a conservation lab in a Cairo museum. During the Arab spring, looters also raided archaeological sites, leading to the loss of several artefacts.
