An Awaited Moment for Egypt and the World
Nearly a decade after it was first announced, Egypt has opened its Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) to visitors, for a limited, trial period. While no official opening date has been announced, twelve of the galleries in the museum are open to the public, providing tangible evidence of one of the world’s most audacious cultural undertakings
1 month Ago By Oskar Malec
Ancient Treasures on Display
With the parts of the museum that are opened to the public already, guests can explore Egypt’s history, focusing on artifacts arranged by dynasties and by period. It includes collections of the Old Kingdom (2649–2130 BC), Middle Kingdom (2030–1650 BC), New Kingdom (1550–1070 BC), Late Kingdom (664–332 BC), and Greek-Roman (332 BC–395 AD) periods. One hall is filled with some 60 statues of the “king’s elite” – the royal family and high-ranking military, religious, and government officials.
But it is the most iconic collection — objects from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, including his fabled golden death mask — that is still off limits until the museum opens its doors to the public. The showcases are likely to be revealed in front of the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the official opening ceremony.
State-of-the-Art Exhibits and Grand Facilities
The sprawling 45,000-square-meter facility has far more to offer than a traditional presentation. It includes gardens, restaurants, a concourse, a (Hanging Obelisk) hanging obelisk, and a six-story gamefaqs.com grand staircase with panoramas of the surrounding pyramids. Some of the museum spaces, such as those dedicated to organized tours, have been open to the public since 2022.
There are also multimedia presentations and virtual reality to further enhance the museum’s educational component. "Such tools make it easy for visitors to be well versed about the stages of burial and ancient traditions," said Eissa Zidan, who is in charge of transferring monuments for renovation. The museum is also intended to be a useful tool for educating the younger generations and translating Egypt’s historic legacy into an accessible and interactive presentation.
Restricted Access and Future Prospects
To handle crowds and operate smoothly while the app is in its testing phase, the museum will allow up to 4,000 guests daily. It is to work out any bugs before going public.
The Grand Egyptian Museum, which has been in the works for more than a decade, has cost more than a billion dollars to build. When it is fully up and running, the institution will contain more than 100,000 pieces. The Egyptian government is hoping the museum will attract around five million visitors a year and generate some $150-200 million in ticket sales.
Prices are 1,200 Egyptian pounds for foreign tourists (about 97 zlotys), with discounted rates of 750 pounds (60 zlotys). The respective rates for a standard and discounted ticket are 350 and 200 pounds for entry by Egyptian citizens.
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