Egypt inaugurates world’s largest museum celebrating its ancient civilisation

Egypt inaugurated the Grand Egyptian Museum on Saturday, marking the completion of a project two decades in the making. The $1 billion complex, located near the Giza Pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo, is the world’s largest museum devoted to a single civilisation and a centrepiece of the government’s efforts to revitalise tourism and the economy.

The museum houses more than 50,000 artefacts chronicling life in ancient Egypt. World leaders, monarchs and heads of state attended the opening ceremony, described by the presidency as “an exceptional event in the history of human culture and civilisation.”

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said the museum symbolises the connection between ancient Egyptian genius and modern creativity, adding that it would enhance global culture and art. The facility, known as GEM, features a striking triangular glass façade inspired by the pyramids, with 24,000 square metres of permanent exhibition space. From its grand atrium, a six-storey staircase lined with statues leads to main galleries offering views of the Giza Plateau.

Security was tightened across Cairo for the ceremony, with the day declared a public holiday. The site had been open for limited visits in recent years but was closed for two weeks before the official unveiling. Infrastructure around the museum has also been upgraded, including new roads, a metro station under construction at its gates, and the recently opened Sphinx International Airport, located 40 minutes away.

Tutankhamun treasures headline new exhibits

The Grand Egyptian Museum’s 12 main galleries display antiquities spanning from prehistoric times to the Roman era, arranged by period and theme. Two halls are dedicated entirely to the treasures of King Tutankhamun, exhibiting all 5,000 pieces from his tomb for the first time since their discovery in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter in Luxor.

Among the items on display are the boy pharaoh’s three funeral beds, six chariots, golden throne, gold-covered sarcophagus, and his iconic burial mask crafted from gold, quartzite, lapis lazuli and coloured glass. Former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass described the Tutankhamun collection as the museum’s centrepiece.

The Egyptian government hopes the new landmark will attract more visitors and generate much-needed foreign currency. Tourism, which accounts for around 8% of Egypt’s GDP, welcomed a record 15.7 million visitors in 2024. Authorities aim to double that number to 30 million annually by 2032.

The Grand Egyptian Museum will open to the public on Tuesday.