Egypt Unveils Grand Egyptian Museum, Showcasing Tutankhamun's Tomb in Its Entirety

Sat Nov 01 2025 20:40:46 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The Grand Egyptian Museum opens its doors to the public, featuring the full exhibition of Tutankhamun's tomb for the first time alongside a treasure trove of 100,000 artifacts from Egypt's rich history.

Near the iconic Giza Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum has officially opened, showcasing the full collection of Tutankhamun's tomb and over 100,000 artifacts spanning millennia. Designed to attract millions of tourists and strengthen the call for the return of Egyptian antiquities from abroad, the museum promises to redefine cultural tourism in Egypt.

Near one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza - Egypt is officially opening what it intends as a cultural highlight of the modern age.

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), described as the world's largest archaeological museum, is packed with some 100,000 artefacts covering some seven millennia of the country's history from pre-dynastic times to the Greek and Roman eras.

Prominent Egyptologists argue that its establishment strengthens their demand for key Egyptian antiquities held in other countries to be returned – including the famed Rosetta Stone displayed at the British Museum.

A main draw of the GEM will be the entire contents of the intact tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun, displayed together for the first time since it was found by British Egyptologist Howard Carter. They include Tutankhamun's spectacular gold mask, throne, and chariots.

I had to think, how can we show him in a different way, because since the discovery of the tomb in 1922, about 1,800 pieces from a total of over 5,500 that were inside the tomb were on display, says Dr Tarek Tawfik, President of the International Association of Egyptologists and former head of the GEM.

Costing some $1.2 billion, the vast museum complex is expected to attract up to 8 million visitors a year, giving a huge boost to Egyptian tourism which has been hit by regional crises.

We hope the Grand Egyptian Museum will usher in a new golden age of Egyptology and cultural tourism, says Ahmed Seddik, a guide and aspiring Egyptologist by the pyramids on the Giza Plateau.

Apart from the Tutankhamun exhibit, most galleries at the site have been opened to the public since last year. The new museum spans 500,000 square metres and features colossal displays, including a 16m-long suspended obelisk of Pharaoh Ramesses II and a grand staircase lined with statues of ancient kings and queens.

The project faced multiple challenges, including financial crises and the COVID-19 pandemic, yet opens as a testament to Egypt's unwavering dedication to preserving its heritage.