The Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo

The Grand Egyptian Museum has been a long-awaited project. Like Charleston International African American Museum, this museum has been planned for at least twenty years. However, the Grand Egyptian Museum is different insofar as it has been under construction for much, much longer. In fact, various political and architectural reasons have caused its opening to be put back and put back over the last decade or so. Nevertheless, the museum now expects it to start welcoming visitors within the first half of 2023 because it is finally almost finished.

"It will house the largest collection of Tutankhaman relics ever displayed, and is expected to attract 5 million visitors a year."

Given the huge amount of antiquities there are to store at the museum, it is hardly surprising to learn that this will be the globe’s largest archaeological museum complex when, at long last, it opens its doors. Located about a mile away from the world-famous Giza pyramid complex on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital, the museum occupies a huge site of some 480,000 square metres so it could become even larger as the years go by.

"Imagine being able to see this remarkable collection and the pyramids of Giza in the same place."

For now, it will house some of the most wonderful showpieces ever to have been collected by Egyptologists and archaeologists including many that go back to the reign of King Tutankhamun as well as many treasures from the earlier Pharaohs. In all, some 100,000 artefacts that date back to prehistoric times will be on view to the public – many of them for the first time. Pieces that were previously in storage in Luxor, Alexandria, Sohag and Beni Suef will now be on display together in their new permanent home.

"We hope that by raising the awareness of ancient Egypt in the minds and hearts of the young generation, they will be the real shield to protect the Egyptian antiquities."