Egypt will open the long-delayed $1 billion (about £820 million) Grand Egyptian Museum on Saturday, unveiling the world’s largest archaeological complex dedicated to a single civilisation after more than 20 years of planning and construction.
Located just a mile from the pyramids of Giza, the 470,000-square-metre facility will display more than 50,000 artefacts spanning prehistoric times to the Roman era.
Among them are an 83-tonne, 3,200-year-old statue of Pharaoh Ramesses II and a 4,500-year-old wooden boat belonging to Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid.
Construction of the vast complex began in 2005, though the project was first announced in 1992. Some exhibition halls opened during a soft launch in 2024.
The main opening, repeatedly delayed, most recently in July amid regional tensions over the Gaza conflict is expected to draw world leaders, including the country's President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Museum chief executive Ahmed Ghoneim said the museum uses advanced technology and mixed-reality displays to engage younger audiences. “We’re using the language that Gen Z uses,” he told reporters.
The museum’s 24,000 sq metres of permanent exhibition space include 12 main galleries, a children’s museum, a conservation centre and conference facilities.
Many antiquities have been transferred from Cairo’s century-old Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, while others come from recent excavations at the Saqqara necropolis, about 14 miles (22 km) to the south.
Officials say the new attraction forms part of a broader infrastructure drive that includes a metro system and a new airport for the Giza area.
The project aims to revitalise Egypt’s tourism sector, which drew a record 15.7 million visitors in 2024. The government hopes to double that figure by 2032, with the museum expected to receive 15,000–20,000 visitors a day.
“It is a gift from Egypt to the world and we are proud to finally share it,” said Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy.
The launch comes amid renewed concerns over artefact security after the theft of two pieces, including a 3,000-year-old gold bracelet, from a Cairo conservation lab.
Looting during the 2011 Arab Spring also led to the loss of several antiquities.
Hassan Allam, head of the firm managing the museum, said anticipation was global: “The world has been waiting … everyone’s excited.”
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Friday that the country was in an “open war” with neighbouring Afghanistan, declaring ...
China’s military said on Friday it had conducted a routine patrol in the South China Sea from 23 to 26 February, accusing the Philippines of “disr...
Paramount Skydance emerged as the winner in a months-long battle to acquire Warner Bros Discovery after streaming giant Netflix on Thursday refused to...
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday (26 February) accused Ukraine of threatening Europe’s energy security by halting oi...
The U.S.-brokered talks concluded on Thursday, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the next round of negotiations aimed at ending the R...
China’s military said on Friday it had conducted a routine patrol in the South China Sea from 23 to 26 February, accusing the Philippines of “disrupting” regional peace and stability by organising joint patrols with countries outside the region.
Paramount Skydance emerged as the winner in a months-long battle to acquire Warner Bros Discovery after streaming giant Netflix on Thursday refused to raise its bid for the storied Hollywood studio.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday (26 February) accused Ukraine of threatening Europe’s energy security by halting oil flows through the Druzhba oil pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia.
The U.S.-brokered talks concluded on Thursday, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the next round of negotiations aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war is likely to be held in Abu Dhabi in early March although the schedule has not been finalised.
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state has risen to 46, authorities said, with 21 people still reported missing. The storms triggered landslides and widespread flooding, displacing thousands across Juiz de Fora and Uba.
UK police have concluded searches at Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former residence in Windsor Great Park as part of an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem says it will provide on-site passport and consular services to settlers based in the West Bank on Friday 27 February. The move marks the first time American consular officials have offered such services to settlers, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.
The situation in Cuba was heating up and called for restraint following a deadly incident involving a Florida-registered speedboat off the coast of the Caribbean island, the Kremlin said on Thursday (26 February).
A group of sick and injured Palestinians and their caregivers left Gaza through the Rafah border crossing on Wednesday (25 February) for medical treatment abroad, as limited evacuations continue under tight restrictions.
Paramount Skydance emerged as the winner in a months-long battle to acquire Warner Bros Discovery after streaming giant Netflix on Thursday refused to raise its bid for the storied Hollywood studio.
Hindu devotees in the northern town of Barsana in Uttar Pradesh celebrated ‘Laddoo Holi’ on Tuesday (24 February), a traditional pre-Holi ritual honouring the Hindu deity Krishna.
Robert Carradine, best known for his roles in The Long Riders, Revenge of the Nerds and the television series Lizzie McGuire, has died at the age of 71 following a years-long battle with mental illness.
A seven-month-old Japanese macaque has drawn international attention after forming an unusual bond with a stuffed orangutan toy after being rejected by its mother.
Eric Dane, the actor best known for his roles in 'Grey’s Anatomy' and 'Euphoria', died on Thursday, at the age of 53 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). His family confirmed his death after what they described as a “courageous battle” with ALS.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment