Egypt has inaugurated the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Great Pyramid of Giza, unveiling the world’s largest archaeological museum and a modern cultural landmark celebrating over 7,000 years of history.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led the inauguration ceremony on Saturday, welcoming heads of state and officials to Giza for the museum’s official opening. Among the guests were Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Oman’s Crown Prince Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al-Said.
The leaders, accompanied by Egypt’s First Lady Entissar Mohamed Amer, posed for a family photo beneath the museum’s striking glass facade. Aerial footage of the ceremony captured the scale of the new complex, standing at the edge of the desert with the Giza pyramids rising in the background.
The event marked the culmination of a project nearly three decades in the making. First proposed in 1992 and begun in 2005, the museum faced repeated delays due to financial setbacks, political unrest following the 2011 uprising, and the global pandemic.
The largest archaeological museum ever built
Covering 500,000 square metres, the Grand Egyptian Museum is now considered the largest archaeological institution devoted to a single civilisation. It's 100,000 artefacts span seven millennia of Egypt’s history, from prehistoric periods to the Greek and Roman eras.
At the museum’s entrance, visitors are greeted by the colossal 11-metre-high statue of Pharaoh Ramesses II, relocated from Cairo’s Ramses Square in 2006. A suspended 16-metre obelisk dedicated to the same pharaoh and a 4,500-year-old wooden funerary boat belonging to King Khufu are among the museum’s centrepieces.
The main atrium features a monumental staircase lined with statues of ancient Egyptian rulers, leading upward to a grand window framing a panoramic view of the Giza pyramids.
Tutankhamun collection displayed in full
A central highlight is the complete exhibition of treasures from the tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun. For the first time since British archaeologist Howard Carter’s discovery in 1922, the entire collection of more than 5,000 objects is displayed together. The exhibit includes the pharaoh’s gold funerary mask, ornate throne, chariots, jewellery, and ceremonial weapons.
Egyptian conservators at the museum have restored hundreds of Tutankhamun’s belongings, some made of fragile materials such as textiles and leather, bringing them to public view for the first time in over a century.
Architectural vision and design
Designed by the Dublin-based firm Heneghan Peng Architects, the Grand Egyptian Museum combines cutting-edge design with visual homage to ancient Egypt. The pyramid-shaped entrance, alabaster façades etched with hieroglyphs, and vast exhibition halls convey both scale and symbolism.
Inside, advanced lighting, climate control, and virtual-reality installations redefine how ancient artefacts are displayed. Most galleries had been partially opened to the public in previous years, allowing Egyptologists and visitors to preview the scale and ambition behind the institution.
Symbol of national pride and future ambition
Costing an estimated $1.2 billion, the museum stands as one of the largest cultural investments in Egypt’s modern history. Officials expect it to draw up to 8 million visitors annually, positioning it as a new global centre for archaeology, research, and tourism.
The Egyptian government views the project as part of a broader strategy to revitalise the tourism sector, a key source of foreign currency for essential imports such as wheat and fuel. Roads around Giza have been upgraded, a new airport has been built nearby, and the main entrance to the pyramids has been relocated to improve accessibility and reduce congestion.
For Egyptologists and citizens alike, the Grand Egyptian Museum represents more than an architectural achievement. It is a declaration of cultural confidence, linking the grandeur of the pharaohs with Egypt’s modern identity and aspirations.
Image caption: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi welcomes world leaders during the opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. The vast complex stands beside the Great Pyramid, housing 100,000 artefacts from across Egypt’s history.
Iran is now facing a near‑total internet blackout as anti-government protests sweep the country. Major cities including Tehran have seen connectivit...
A series of statements by Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has reignited debate over freedom of speech, the role of the Orthodox Church,...
A significant development in the complex Azerbaijan - Armenia scenario is the growing confrontation between Armenia’s political leadership and the A...
The 240-megawatt Khizi-Absheron Wind Power Plant has been inaugurated in Azerbaijan on Thursday (8 Jan) by President Illham Aliyev, who described the ...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that the text of a bilateral security guarantee between Kyiv and Washington is "essentially...
Libya’s chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, has died in a plane crash shortly after departing Türkiye’s capital, Ankara, the prime minister of Libya’s UN-recognised government has said.
Senior representatives from the U.S., Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye have held talks in Miami to assess progress on the Gaza ceasefire and lay the groundwork for its next phase, according to a statement issued by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Cairo on Thursday ahead of a two-day ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum.
UNESCO has unveiled the latest additions to its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, celebrating a rich array of global traditions that reflect the importance of cuisine, festivals, and local customs.
Snow and ice stalled travellers in northwest Europe on Wednesday, forcing around a thousand to spend the night in Amsterdam's Schiphol airport but delighting others who set out to explore a snow-blanketed Paris on sledges and skis.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources reported a significant movement of U.S. military aircraft towards the Middle East in recent hours. Dozens of U.S. Air Force aerial refuelling tankers and heavy transport aircraft were observed heading eastwards, presumably to staging points in the region.
Diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated as Japan slams China's export ban on dual-use goods. Markets have wobbled as fears grow over a potential rare earth embargo affecting global supply chains.
Two people have been killed after a private helicopter crashed at a recreation centre in Russia’s Perm region, Russian authorities and local media have said.
Iran’s chief justice has warned protesters there will be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic”, as rights groups reported a rising death toll during what observers describe as the country’s biggest wave of unrest in three years.
Beyoncé has officially joined the billionaire club, becoming the fifth musician to reach a 10-figure fortune, Forbes reports.
Brigitte Bardot, the French actress whose barefoot mambo in And God Created Woman propelled her to international fame and reshaped female sexuality on screen, has died at the age of 91, her foundation said on Sunday.
Director James Cameron has shared the key reasons behind the global success of Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third installment in one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time. In an interview with China Media Group in Hainan Province, Cameron spoke about the universal appeal of the film.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has become the world’s richest individual, with a net worth of US$749 billion, after the Delaware Supreme Court reinstated $139 billion in stock options that were voided last year, according to Forbes’ billionaires index.
A rare pair of bright-green Nike “Grinch” sneakers worn and signed by the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant have gone on public display in Beverly Hills, ahead of an auction that could set a new record for sports memorabilia.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment