Egypt dazzles the world with its grand museum, a pharaonic project that becomes a reality after 20 years

After 20 years of titanic construction and several delays, Egypt makes history with the opening this Saturday evening in Cairo... of the most anticipated museum of the century, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), dedicated to its pharaohs, thirty dynasties that marked a civilization over more than 3,500 years. The inauguration of the archaeological museum, overlooking the Pyramids of Giza, the great wonder of Egypt, brought together 80 official delegations, including 40 led by kings, princes, heads of state or government, revealing the significance of what is considered the "cultural event of the century."

King Felipe VI was one of the guests at a truly spectacular premiere filled with light and color, featuring music, choreographies, and impressive visual effects over the Cairo sky performed using drones and dedicated to the pharaohs. In addition, hundreds of extras dressed as in Ancient Egypt (with the characteristic Cleopatra-style haircut) welcomed all the dignitaries, including the proudest of all, Egyptian President Al-Sisi, who was visibly proud and aware of the great significance of the moment.

The museum, a majestic building with which Egypt wants to dazzle the world, houses about 100,000 relics from antiquity, some of which have never been displayed before. Among the main attractions are the 5,500 funerary objects from the treasure of Tutankhamun (such as his famous golden mask, his royal throne, and the golden coffins), which for the first time will be gathered in one place, the so-called Tutankhamun gallery, measuring 7,000 square meters, since the British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered it in 1922 in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

The Grand Egyptian Museum inaugurates today, November 1, near the Giza Pyramids, after 30+ years in the making.

It now stands as the world’s largest archaeological museum dedicated to a single civilization.

Drone rehearsals have already taken place in preparation for the grand… pic.twitter.com/yLW2YCRLkg

Also awe-inspiring is the 12-meter tall granite statue of Emperor Ramses II, which is 3,200 years old and presides over the Grand Hall. And two of the colossal solar boats of King Khufu (43 meters long), which are believed to have been the pharaoh's transport vessels on his journey to the afterlife. And among all these treasures, papyri, sarcophagi, statues... leading to a fascinating journey into the past. However, the first monumental object that greets visitors is the Hanging Obelisk, a 16-meter high mass placed at the museum's entrance.

The museum was partially opened to the public in 2023, and due to its dimensions and triangular structure, it is already known as the 'Fourth Pyramid'. The official opening to visitors will be next Tuesday, and it is set to become "a cultural and scientific reference point internationally, and to enhance Egypt's tourism promotion," according to the government led by Al Sisi. The authorities expect to receive five million visitors a year in this example of contemporary architecture, with a futuristic design that came from the Irish firm Heneghan Peng Architects. The museum aspires to be among the ten most visited museums in the world.

Although the first stone of the pharaonic project was laid in February 2002, the actual construction did not start until 2006. However, the works have been postponed on several occasions due to the difficulty of erecting the building in the desert - in the shadow of the Pyramids of Giza - and ensuring that there were no relics underneath, a process of removing thousands of tons of sand that took ten years. It has also suffered delays due to the Arab Spring, the fall of Hosni Mubarak's regime, and later due to the pandemic. Finally, July 3, 2025, was set as the opening date, but amid tensions in the Middle East, with the Gaza war, and to give the event "the global magnitude it deserves," the authorities preferred to delay the date until this November first.

Historic Appointment in Cairo

Less than a kilometer from the Pyramids of Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum is the largest in the world dedicated to a single civilization. The architectural space will host permanent exhibitions that will occupy an area of 85,000 square meters and the construction as a whole is set on 500,000 square meters, twice the size of the Louvre Museum and two and a half times larger than the British Museum. It is prepared to receive up to 15,000 people daily. Its cost is estimated at about 900 million euros.

The building has a large staircase of sarcophagi and sculptures aligned leading to an immense window with a privileged view of Giza. The massive complex will house 100,000 pieces, an antiquities warehouse, and a restoration laboratory. Its large halls with high ceilings and galleries with plenty of natural light are designed so that the tourist feels they are entering an archaeological site.

The crown jewel is the treasure of Tutankhamun, the only tomb of a pharaoh discovered intact. In total, about 5,500 pieces found in the tomb by Howard Carter over a century ago will be displayed. All these relics will be shown in a single space divided into galleries that allow the visitor to have a complete picture of the life, suffering, and drama during the time of Tutankhamun. The galleries of the Grand Museum are interconnected chronologically so that the visitor can travel through the entire history of Ancient Egypt.

The Egyptian authorities have spared no expense for what they consider a global event and an "unprecedented historical event," both for the country and for universal culture. "Today a new chapter of present and future history is being written," said Al Sisi in a solemn speech to his guests. With his new museum, the president wants to project to the world the cultural and heritage relevance of Egypt and increase tourism. Meanwhile, the citizens of the country follow the pomp of the opening ceremony with a mix of pride and curiosity, aware that the GEM will mark a before and after in the conservation and exhibition of their astonishing historical heritage.