Grand Egyptian Museum

For other uses, see Egyptian Museum (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Egyptian Museum or National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.

Grand Egyptian Museum
المتحف المصري الكبير
General information
TypeMuseum
Architectural stylePharaonic (Egyptian)
LocationGiza, Greater Cairo
CountryEgypt
Coordinates29°59′37″N 31°07′11″E / 29.99361°N 31.11972°E / 29.99361; 31.11972
Construction started12 March 2012 (2012-03-12)[2]
CompletedFebruary 2023
Opened
  • October 2024 (limited access)[3]
  • November 2025 (planned full access)[4][5]
Cost$1 billion[1]
ClientMinistry of Antiquities
OwnerGovernment of Egypt
Technical details
Floor area490,000 square metres (5,300,000 sq ft)[6]
Design and construction
Architect(s)Heneghan Peng
Structural engineerArup
Services engineerBuro Happold
Other designersAtelier Brückner
Main contractorOrascom Construction/BESIX
Website
visit-gem.com

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM; Arabic: المتحف المصري الكبير al-Matḥaf al-Miṣriyy al-Kabir) is an archaeological and national museum in Giza, Egypt, the largest museum in the world for a single civilization[7][8] and for the Egyptian civilization. It is located about two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Giza Pyramid Complex.

The museum was announced in 1992,[9] actual construction began in 2005,[10] and it was fully completed in 2023[11] at a cost of $1 billion.[12] The official opening will take place on November 1 2025.[13]

The museum houses a collection of the most valuable Egyptian artifacts ever from various periods of the Egyptian civilization, from the Predynastic Period to Coptic Egypt, with an estimated total of over 100,000 artifacts,[14] including at least 20,000 that will be displayed for the first time ever, including the complete King Tutankhamun collection comprising 5,398 pieces.[15] The Tut collection is on display in a 7,500 m2 section of the museum.[16] Rare pieces that have been restored will be displayed for the first time, such as the second solar ship of Khufu,[17] the restoration of which cost $5 million, the collection of Queen Hetepheres (mother of King Khufu),[18] and the collection of Yuya and Thuyu (parents of Queen Tiye).

The museum extends over a total area of 500,000 m2[19][20] (5,381,955 sq ft), with a built-up area of 167,000 m2[21] (1,797,573 sq ft) and floor area of 81,000 m2[22] (872,000 sq ft). It will also host permanent exhibition galleries, temporary exhibitions, special exhibitions, a children’s museum, and virtual and large-format screens with a total floor area of 32,000 m2 (344,445 sq ft).

The museum was built by a joint venture of the Belgian BESIX Group and the Egyptian Orascom Construction.[23]

Overview

The building design was decided by an architectural competition announced on 7 January 2002.[24] The organisers received 1,557 entries from 82 countries, making it the second largest architectural competition in history. In the second stage of the competition, 20 entries submitted additional information on their designs. Judging was complete by 2 June 2003. The competition was won by architects Róisín Heneghan and Shi-Fu Peng, and their company Heneghan Peng Architects of Ireland; the prize was US$250,000.[25] Heneghan Peng, Buro Happold, Arup and ACE Consulting Engineers (Moharram and Bakhoum) collaborated on the design of the building. The landscape and site masterplan was designed by West 8; the exhibition masterplan, exhibition design, and museology was led by Atelier Brückner.[26] On 2 February 2010, Hill International announced that Egypt's Ministry of Culture had signed a contract with a joint venture of Hill and EHAF Consulting Engineers to provide project management services during the design and construction of the Grand Egyptian Museum.[27]

Construction site showing the exterior of the Grand Egyptian Museum under construction
Exterior under construction in 2019

The building's shape is a chamfered triangle. It sits on a site 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) northwest of the pyramids, near a motorway interchange. The building's north and south walls line up directly with the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Menkaure. The front of the museum includes a large plaza filled with date palms and a façade made of translucent alabaster stone. Inside the main entrance is a large atrium where large statues are exhibited.

The project is estimated to cost $550 million, of which $300 million will be financed from Japanese loans. The remaining costs are financed by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, other donations, and international funds.

The new museum is designed to include newer technologies, such as virtual reality. The museum also serves as an international center of communication between museums, to promote direct contact with other local and international museums. The Grand Egyptian Museum includes a children's museum, conference center, training center, and workshops designed similarly to the old Pharaonic places.

History

Large ancient Egyptian statue of Ramesses II in the museum's entrance hall
Statue of Ramesses II in the entrance hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum

On 5 January 2002, then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak laid the foundation stone of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

In 2006, the 3,200 years old Statue of Ramesses II was relocated from Ramses Square in Cairo to the Grand Egyptian Museum site, near that Giza Plateau. It was moved to the atrium of the museum in January 2018.[28][29]

In 2007, GEM secured a $300 million loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. The Egyptian Government will fund $147 million while the remaining $150 million will be funded through donations and international organisations.[30]

In late August 2008, the design team submitted over 5,000 drawings to the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. Following this, the construction tender was announced in October 2008. Earthmoving has begun to excavate the site for the building.

Tendering was due in September 2009, with an estimated completion date of 2013.[31]

On 11 January 2012, a joint venture between Egypt's Orascom Construction (OC) and the Belgian BESIX was awarded the contract for phase three of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), a deal valued at $810 million.

View of the Grand Egyptian Museum construction site in 2019
The museum under construction in 2019

In January 2018, Besix and Orascom brought in and installed an 82-ton, 3,200-year-old statue of Ramses II in the Grand Egyptian Museum. It was the first artefact to be installed in the museum, during construction, due to its size.[32][33]

On 29 April 2018, a fire broke out near the entrance of the GEM but artifacts were not damaged and the cause of the fire was unknown.[34]

In May 2018, the last of King Tutankhamun's chariots was moved to GEM.[35]

In November 2018, the estimate for a full opening was pushed back to last quarter of 2020, according to Tarek Tawfik, GEM's director.[36] In April 2020, the planned opening of the museum was pushed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[37] Various subsequent estimates ranged from 2020 to 2023.[38][39]

In August 2020, two colossal statues discovered in the sunken city of Thonis-Heracleion by the IEASM[40] were set up in the entrance hall of the GEM.[41]

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) began limited public access in February 2023, allowing visitors to explore the main entrance hall and commercial areas.[42] In May 2024, Gihane Zaki was appointed as the head of the museum,[43] and it was announced that the official opening was scheduled for "later this year".[44] However, there has been no official announcement of a definitive opening date.

On 16 October 2024, the museum expanded its offerings by opening twelve main galleries as part of a trial run. These galleries showcase artifacts from various periods of ancient Egyptian history, with daily attendance capped at 4,000 visitors.[45] The Egyptian government has stated that it should be organised so that it can be opened on November 1, 2025[46]

The GEM is available for private tours in advance of its official opening.[47]

Logo design

On 10 June 2018, the museum's logo was revealed, which will be used in the museum's promotional campaign in Egypt and the world. The logo was designed by Tariq Atrissi.[48] The cost of the design amounted to 800,000 Egyptian pounds, which included the costs of designing the museum exhibition implemented by the German company "Atelier Bruckner".[49]

Exhibits

Golden funerary mask of Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun's death mask

The exhibits cover about one-third of the total museum's 50-hectare grounds displaying over 13,000 artefacts in 12 galleries arranged by time period (c.3100BCE~400CE) and theme (Society/Kingship/Beliefs) from the museum's total collections of 50,000 objects. The artefacts were relocated from storage and museums in Cairo, Luxor, Minya, Sohag, Assiut, Beni Suef, Fayoum, the Delta, and Alexandria.[50][51]

As of January 2025, the Grand Egyptian Museum has only partially opened, rather than fully inaugurating as originally planned. The official grand opening was expected to take place in late 2024, with the first exhibition intended to showcase 5,000 objects from King Tutankhamun's tomb—relocated from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo—and the reconstructed (August 2021) Khufu ship, a solar barque, which was transferred from the Giza Solar boat museum beside the Great Pyramid.[52]

At present, the golden mask and primary funerary items of King Tutankhamun have yet to be moved to the new museum, and the Khufu solar ship remains inaccessible to the general public, available only through special private tours that can only be arranged in advance.

Events

The museum has hosted different artistic and cultural events and venues since its partial opening. On 20 January 2023, the first musical concert held in the museum had Egypt's soprano Fatma Said along with United Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir led by Nader Abbassi ,[53] and was attended by a number of foreign ambassadors and public figures from Egypt and abroad. The 83-ton statue of Ramses II Statue was positioned next to the musical orchestra.[54]

Opening postponed

The Grand Egyptian Museum's opening has been postponed several times over the past few years, from 2020 to 2025, with some rumors suggesting an even earlier opening date, dating back to 2012.

First postponement: from 2020 to 2021

The Grand Egyptian Museum was scheduled to open in 2020, but was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted preparations and logistics.[55]

Second postponement: from 2021 to end of 2022 or early 2023

After postponing its opening from 2020 to the last quarter of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Grand Egyptian Museum faced additional delays due to ongoing logistical challenges, including the completion of construction work, the transportation of artifacts, and preparations for trial operation. It was announced that the official opening has been postponed to the end of 2022 or early 2023[56], with limited trial operations expected to begin during that period.[57]

The head of the Egyptian Tourist Guides Syndicate, Basem Halaka, announced that the Grand Egyptian Museum will open by the end of 2023.[58]

Third postponement: from 2023 to 2024

Minister of Tourism Ahmed Issa stated that the Grand Egyptian Museum will open in May 2024.[59] This did not happen, but the museum was opened for a trial period to four thousand visitors in October 2024.[60][61][62], After that, the final opening date was not determined until it was later set for 2025, on July 3.[63]

Fourth postponement: from July 3, 2025 to the last quarter of 2025

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that it has decided to postpone the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which was scheduled to open on 3 July 2025. A new date for the official opening of the museum will be set during the last quarter of this year, to be announced in due course, after coordination with all relevant authorities to ensure the organisation of an event befitting Egypt's international tourism and cultural status. The museum published this on its official website and some international newspapers republished the news.[64] In another statement to local newspapers, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said, "All readings indicate that the existing conflict will continue for a while and will not end in a few days, and therefore will have repercussions on the region and on all expected events"[65][66] referring to the ongoing military conflict between Iran and Israel.

The final official opening date

On 6 August 2025, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had agreed to set the museum's opening date for 1 November.[67][68] Also The Grand Egyptian Museum will be temporarily closed from October 15 to November 4, 2025. The museum will resume receiving visitors during official working hours on November 4, which marks the 103rd anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of the Golden King Tutankhamun.[69]

See also

References

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