Explore the Grand Egyptian Museum: Cairo’s Monumental Marvel
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is set to officially open on Saturday, making history as the largest museum dedicated to a single civilization, Ancient Egypt. This monumental venue will showcase over 100,000 artifacts, including treasures from Tutankhamun’s tomb and the famed ‘solar boat’ of Pharaoh Khufu.
Key Features of the GEM
Visitors will enter through the spacious Grand Hall and the Grand Staircase, which feature impressive hieroglyphic columns and monumental statues of pharaohs. These areas lead to the Main Galleries, which had a special preview for 4,000 guests in October 2024.
Tutankhamun Galleries Opening
The final phase of the GEM, including the Tutankhamun Galleries, will be open to the public on 1 November 2025. This section will present over 5,000 artifacts from the young pharaoh’s tomb, including his shimmering gold funerary mask and life-sized wooden statues.
- Opening Ceremony: Live-streamed on TikTok.
- Public visits begin on: 4 November 2024.
- Entrance fee for adult foreign visitors: 1,450 Egyptian pounds (€30).
Museum’s Infrastructure and Capacity
The GEM will boast an impressive 22,000 square meters of exhibition space. It will also feature one of the world’s largest conservation and research facilities, which includes an underground tunnel connecting to 19 specialized laboratories focused on preserving Ancient Egyptian heritage.
Visitor Capacity
The museum aims to accommodate up to five million visitors annually. Its design incorporates both ancient and modern elements, bridging history with innovation.
Architectural Design
Located on a desert plateau near the Pyramids of Giza, the museum’s architecture is conceived by Irish architect Roisin Heneghan. The structural design mirrors the iconic pyramids, while implementing sustainable features like reinforced concrete to regulate internal temperatures, minimizing air conditioning use.
The surrounding gardens, inspired by the vegetation of the Nile Valley, were created by landscape architects West 8 and include triangular design elements, harmonizing with the museum’s overall aesthetic.
