Update: Grand Egyptian Museum Getting Closer to Opening in November, 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NOTE: THIS BLOG IS OUTDATED—TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST ON THE GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM OPENING, VISIT THIS BLOG POST: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
Egypt’s Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) has the world holding its breath, awaiting the grand debut of the largest archaeological museum in the world. While the GEM is still on track to open in November, 2022 (see this blog post for more info), we still do not know a lot about the opening. Here’s what we learned after a recent update from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.
This photo, taken in December, 2021, shows the exterior of the GEM is complete, and the landscaping/finishing touches to the exterior are all that’s left, and we just received an update on the interior from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
What the Ministry said…
The GEM’s exterior, as shown in photos, is finished, and the landscaping around the property seems to be the only thing left to complete on the outside. As for the inside, we have this update, directly from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on February 6, 2022:
A meeting at the Grand Egyptian Museum to review the latest updates
Finishing the installation and display of more than 4700 artifacts from the treasures of King Tutankhamun inside 86 display showcases our of 107
Transfer more than 56000 artifacts to the Grand Egyptian Museum
The completion of installing 100% of the heavy pieces in the Great Hall in the Grand Egyptian Museum
What this means…
After the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities made their announcement, we can presume the following:
The GEM is still on track to open in November, 2022, like it was announced by the Ministry and Zahi Hawass back in the fall of 2021.
The GEM has almost all of the Tutankhamun artifacts installed, but the Tutankhamun funerary mask still is on display at the original Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square.
All of the large pieces at the GEM, including the newly uncovered (pictured in the Instagram post) colossal of Ramses the Great, have been put in place in the new museum.
With over 56,000 artifacts already installed (and more to come), the GEM will truly live up to its tag-line: the largest archaeological museum in the world.
Want to watch instead? In this video, I go over when the GEM will open, and what will be on display.
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, just unearthed a few years prior, and never before shown to the public (pictured above)
-Much, much, more!
Tutankhamun’s Golden Funerary Mask will be among the artifacts on display at the GEM.
Are you planning to be in Egypt when the GEM opens? What are you most excited about regarding Egypt’s new Grand Egyptian Museum? Let us know in a comment below!
