The world’s largest museum dedicated to ancient Egypt is (finally) opening its doors this summer

The Grand Egyptian Museum, also known as the GEM, is set to open near the Giza pyramids in Cairo, Egypt. Upon its opening, the museum will showcase over 100,000 artifacts, including the entire collection of Tutankhamun's treasure.

Twenty-two years of work and one billion euros for the Grand Egyptian Museum

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The team had submitted the winning bid, outdoing more than 1500 other submissions. Work commenced rapidly, but was repeatedly put on hold, most notably during the 2011 revolution and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recommended by the current Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the construction is nearing completion and the building is expected to be handed over soon. It's intended to be a monument that even the pharaohs would be proud of: the total cost is estimated at over one billion euros, more than double the initial budget.

The Great Egyptian Museum is scheduled to open its doors in the summer of 2025, marking a decade-long wait.

The long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo has finally reached a major milestone. Despite facing numerous setbacks over the past decade, which have pushed back the opening date from 2015, the museum is now set to open its doors fully on July 3, 2025. The grand opening will be a significant event, marking the unveiling of the museum's most impressive rooms dedicated to Tutankhamun. These rooms will showcase treasures that have never been exhibited before, offering a glimpse into the captivating world of the young pharaoh. "After decades of waiting," promises Ahmed Ghoneim, the museum's director, "this extraordinary place is poised to become a must-visit destination in Egypt's rich cultural heritage."

The biggest museum in the world specializing in Egyptology

The monument has been relocated to Cairo from its original location near the train station. Take a look up, and you'll see a grand staircase with 60 statues, which leads to a spacious glass lobby. From this lobby, you can enjoy an unobstructed view of the three Giza pyramids, the tombs of Pharaohs Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaura.

The entire collection of Tutankhamun's treasure will be displayed for the first time.

For the first time ever, around 5,000 artifacts from November 1922's discovery by Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, will be displayed together. The treasures of the young king, untouched for 3,000 years, include golden masks, sarcophagi, golden beds and chariots, and mother-of-pearl jewelry inlaid with precious stones, which will be showcased behind the glass cases of the spacious gallery.

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Relaunching Egyptian tourism

About half of the museum's collections will be on permanent display. The rest will be kept in storage, where they will be restored and analyzed in a large research facility with 17 state-of-the-art restoration laboratories.

The GEM complex is not only a museum, but also a cultural and tourist destination. The building will feature shops, restaurants, a conference center, and a cinema. The goal is to revitalize Egypt's tourism industry, which has struggled to recover from the economic impact of the 2011 unrest. The museum is expected to welcome six million visitors annually, who will be able to visit the museum and the Giza pyramids with a single ticket.

The Grand Egyptian Museum is scheduled to open in 2023.

The date has been postponed to 2023.

The GEM launched its online ticketing service in March 2023 for booking limited guided tours, to explore the Grand Hall, the Glass Court, the commercial area, and the exterior gardens.

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