Even if a trip to Egypt isn’t on your calendar, it’s hard not to be intrigued by what’s happening near the Pyramids these days. Ancient history is making headlines once again, and it’s interesting to see how the story continues to unfold—even from afar.
Scheduled to officially open on July 3, 2025, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) has been more than 20 years in the making. Located just two kilometers from the Giza Pyramids, the museum spans nearly five million square feet and is considered the largest archaeological museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization.
A 36-foot-tall statue of Ramesses II greets visitors in the main atrium, where it has stood since 2006. The museum’s layout features wide staircases and extensive galleries, which together will eventually house more than 100,000 artifacts spanning 5,000 years of ancient Egyptian history.
Although parts of the complex—including the Grand Atrium, Grand Staircase, and sculpture gardens—have opened to limited visitors in recent months, the upcoming launch will mark the debut of the galleries devoted to Tutankhamun. These exhibitions will include the pharaoh’s golden funerary mask and more than 5,000 objects, many of which will be on public view for the first time.
The building was designed with a blend of modern and traditional elements, including a façade made of alabaster and glass, engraved with 500 cartouches representing royal names. The museum is not intended to replace the Egyptian Museum in Cairo but to complement it by expanding the country’s capacity for exhibition, conservation, and research.
Among the other major exhibits are two solar boats excavated near the Great Pyramid, collections of ancient manuscripts, sculptures, and a section focused on mummified animals. The Grand Egyptian Museum is positioned to become a central site for the preservation and display of Egypt’s cultural heritage.
