Cairo’s new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) will open in November of 2022!
NOTE: THIS BLOG IS OUTDATED—TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST ON THE GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM OPENING, VISIT THIS BLOG POST: https://www.egyptadventurestravel.com/blog/grand-egyptian-museum-opening-date-when-will-cairos-new-museum-open
The GEM will host a colossal statue of Ramses II (The Great), similar to this statue of Ramses which is in Memphis. Note that in a previous version of this post, I incorrectly said the statue has never before been on display, but it is a statue that actually used to be on display outside Cairo’s Ramses Train Station. Thank you to Jeffrey for the correction!
The Grand Egyptian Museum has been announced to be opening in November of 2022! Here’s what we know so far.
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Sources
Both Zahi Hawass, a renowned Egyptian Egyptologist, and Egypt Independent, a reputable media outlet based in Cairo, have confirmed the opening date of November 2022. You can read Zahi Hawass’s piece here, and you can check out the article from Egypt Independent here.
I predicted in September of 2021 that the GEM would not open until the spring of 2022 at the earliest, and that prediction was correct—Egypt wants to make the GEM’s opening a grande spectacle, tying it in to the centennial of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s treasure trove of a tomb. We can expect lots of fanfare, international attention, and possible a live event, similar to the grandeur of the Mummy parade that dazzled spectators across the world this past spring.
The GEM’s most prized object will be the gold funerary mask of pharaoh Tutankhamun (King Tut).
What will be at the GEM?
The GEM will house the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the world, and will dwarf both the original Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square and the newer National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The GEM will have an amazing assortment of objects, like:
-Tutankhamun’s funerary collection, including the golden funerary mask, arguable the most iconic Egyptian artifact, and one of the most precious pieces of art in the world.
-Khufu’s solar boat, a wooden boat built over 4,000 years ago and unearthed from the sands near the pyramids of Giza.
-A colossal statue of Ramses the Great that used to stand outside Ramses Train Station in Cairo.
-Much, much, more!
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When should I go to Egypt to see the GEM?
The GEM’s opening is bound to be an international affair, and will attract not only the attention of tourism outlets across the world, but also numerous diplomatic and cultural officials from countries Egypt has a positive relationship with.
Since Egypt is notorious for delays (the GEM’s grand opening has been delayed several time, over the span of several years), I would not pull the trigger on plane tickets or hotel reservations just yet. I will update this blog post as we get closer to the grand opening, to let potential visitors know when they should make their plans.
Stay tuned, because Egypt Adventures Travel will be most likely hosting a guided tour in December of 2022, in hopes that our travelers will be among the first to take in the grandeur of the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Even if the GEM is not open yet when you visit Egypt, there are still tons of other amazing museums in Cairo, like the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, home to the cache of 22 royal mummies.
Final note
I, along with every other traveler to Egypt, would love for the GEM to be open ASAP before my next trip to Egypt. That being said, Egypt is an amazing country filled with thousands of artifacts, ruins, temples, pyramids, tombs, and more to explore. Do not let the opening of the GEM make or break your Egypt Adventure! And hey, if you go to Egypt in 2021 or early 2022 and the GEM opens after your return, you can always go back. Egypt will be waiting.
What are you most excited about regarding Egypt’s new Grand Egyptian Museum? Let us know in a comment below!