Egypt unveils Grand Egyptian Museum dedicated to its ancient civilisation

Cairo is set to open the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum that Egypt hopes will celebrate the nation’s heritage and also revitalise its struggling economy and tourism sector.

World leaders, including monarchs and heads of state and government, were scheduled to attend the Egyptian presidency’s press conference on Saturday, in Cairo.

It referred to the opening of the museum as “an extraordinary event in the history of human culture and civilisation.”

The 24, 000 square meters (258, 000 square feet) of permanent exhibition space will house large statues and historical pieces from the nation’s ancient civilisation. The museum’s location, which has been in development for 20 years, is close to Cairo’s Giza Pyramids.

The museum will “unify the genius of the ancient Egyptians and the creativity of the modern Egyptians, enhancing the world culture and art with a new landmark that will attract all those who cherish civilization and knowledge,” according to President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s tweet on social media.

El-Sisi has spearheaded a number of megaprojects since taking office in 2014, including the museum, which aims to revive an economy that has fallen victim to decades of stagnation and unrest following the uprising in the Arab Spring in 2011.

The grand reveal preparations have been kept secret. Prior to the ceremony’s opening ceremony, the government announced that Saturday would be a public holiday, which has increased security in the city. The museum’s final two-week of preparations were delayed due to the limited number of visitors over the past few years.

The museum’s location and the nearby Giza Plateau, home to the Sphinx and pyramids, have been transformed by the government. To improve access, the path was made paved, and a metro station is being built near the museum’s gates. West of Cairo, 40 minutes from the museum, has also opened an airport, Sphinx International Airport.

Construction on the $1 billion facility began in 2005 but was halted due to political unrest, with several delays.

A magnificent six-storey staircase with views of the nearby pyramids and ancient statues ascends from the atrium. According to museum officials, a bridge connects the museum and the pyramids, allowing visitors to move either on foot or by electric vehicle between them.

The museum’s 12 main galleries, which opened last year, are organized by era and themes to display antiquities dating back to prehistoric times and the Roman era.

The 5, 000 pieces from King Tutankhamun’s collection will be displayed in its entirety for the first time since British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered his tomb in Luxor in 1922, in two halls dedicated to him.

The government hopes that the museum will draw more visitors who will stay for a while, as well as offer the foreign currency needed to bolster Egypt’s struggling economy.

According to official figures, Egypt received a record-setting number of visitors in 2024, accounting for about 15.7 million of the country’s gross domestic product. Egypt, which has repeatedly needed bailouts to stabilize its economy, uses tourism-related foreign currency to pay for important imports like wheat and fuel.