Cairo's Grand Egypt Museum Is Opening In 2020—Here's What We Know

Jan 20, 2020

04 August 2019, Egypt, Giza: An Egyptian archaeologist works on a pharaonic bed with animal figures which belonged to King Tutankhamun during a restoration process at the restoration lab of the newly-built Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza outside Cairo. Photo: Hassan Mohamed/dpa (Photo by Hassan Mohamed/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Cover 04 August 2019, Egypt, Giza: An Egyptian archaeologist works on a pharaonic bed with animal figures which belonged to King Tutankhamun during a restoration process at the restoration lab of the newly-built Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza outside Cairo. Photo: Hassan Mohamed/dpa (Photo by Hassan Mohamed/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Set to open by the end of 2020, The Grand Egypt Museum (GEM) will be the world’s largest archeological museum dedicated to a single civilisation, displaying 50,000 artefacts and never-before-seen relics of King Tutankhamun. Here's what we know about the most anticipated museum opening of the year

1. It's nothing like the old Egyptian Museum

04 August 2019, Egypt, Giza: Workers stand near a giant statue of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II in hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza outside Cairo. Photo: Hassan Mohamed/dpa (Photo by Hassan Mohamed/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Above The entrance hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza outside Cairo. (Photo by Hassan Mohamed/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Unlike the old Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir Square, which functions as a warehouse of treasures, the exhibition at the GEM follows a chronological order and incorporates the latest technology, including virtual reality.

Shaped like the pyramids, the museum features a state-of-the-art folded roof structure with rectangular panels spreading across all parts of the roof and its underside, allowing plenty of natural light to shine through the entrance hall. Another main feature of the museum is the grand staircase, which ascends from valley level to plateau, and will be lined with 87 statues.

2. It looks out at the Giza pyramids

26 April 2018, Egypt, Giza: The construction site of the Grand Egyptian Museum is located in front of the Pyramids of Giza. The museum is supposed to set new standards with German assistance. However, the opening date for the megaproject might not work out. Photo: Gehad Hamdy/dpa (Photo by Gehad Hamdy/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Above The Grand Egyptian Museum is located in front of the Pyramids of Giza. (Photo by Gehad Hamdy/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Located outside central Cairo, the GEM unfolds one of the world’s greatest civilisations with a prime location facing the world-famous Giza pyramids, with the size and complexity of the project mirroring that of the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, which correspond to the kings for whom they were built. From the galleries on the plateau level, visitors can see the pyramids from inside the museum.

The new museum is conveniently located to allow easy access for both locals and tourists, as it’s placed with close proximity to the Cairo ring road that encircles the cities of Cairo and Giza for those travelling to and from Cairo. It is also expected to connect to the Cairo metro once the new line is completed. For those travelling by air, the new Sphinx International Airport, which is only 20 minutes away, will soon receive international flights alongside its current domestic routes connecting the Red Sea resorts and Giza.

3. A full tomb collection of King Tutankhamun will be on display

04 August 2019, Egypt, Giza: An Egyptian archeologist works on the gilded coffin of King Tutankhamun during a restoration process, the first since the tomb was discovered in 1922, at the Grand Egyptian Museum. The coffin was transported from King Tutankhamun's tomb at the Valley of the Kings in Luxor to the Grand Egyptian Museum for an eight-month restoration process, before displaying it among his treasured collection at the museum. Photo: Hassan Mohamed/dpa (Photo by Hassan Mohamed/picture alliance via Ge

Above An archeologist works next to the gilded coffin of King Tutankhamun. (Photo by Hassan Mohamed/picture alliance via Getty Images)

For the first time, the tomb of King Tutankhamun, ancient Egypt’s most famous pharaoh, will be shown in its entirety. While about 1,500 items from the boy king’s tomb were displayed in the old museum, the GEM will exhibit 5,400 objects retrieved from his tomb (discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922) in the Tutankhamun gallery, including his three coffins and his treasures.

Along with informative narratives that tell the story of King Tut’s lifestyle, the artefacts are displayed in the same order that Carter came across them in the tomb a century ago, taking visitors through an emotional journey of Egypt’s ancient world.

4. A massive restoration effort

Above An Egyptian archaeologist works on a pharaonic bed with animal figures which belonged to King Tutankhamun. (Photo by Hassan Mohamed/picture alliance via Getty Images)

94.5% of the restoration work is reportedly completed at the moment, thanks to an army of conservationists who painstakingly restored the relics—many of which are nearly 5,000 years old—from the 17 dedicated on-site labs. The restoration of King Tut's golden-plated coffin alone took nine months to complete.

5. The ticket price

04 August 2019, Egypt, Giza: An Egyptian archaeologist works on a mummy during a restoration process at the restoration lab of the newly-built Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza outside Cairo. Photo: Hassan Mohamed/dpa (Photo by Hassan Mohamed/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Above An Egyptian archaeologist works on a mummy during a restoration process at the restoration lab of the newly-built Grand Egyptian Museum. (Photo by Hassan Mohamed/picture alliance via Getty Images)

The GEM recently announced that the ticket price for foreigners will be 400 EGP, around HK$200, and half price for students.

The museum is expected to attract five million visitors a year, surpassing the number of visitors to the UK’s Tate Modern and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Topics

King Tutankhamun egypt grand egypt museum egyptian giza pyramids travel cairo