Alongside the Romans and the Greeks, Ancient Egypt has long been a topic of fascination for history lovers, from the (since-debunked) curse of the Pharaohs to the last remaining of the Wonders of the Ancient World, the Pyramids of Giza.
And now, after more than two decades of anticipation, the Grand Egyptian Museum is finally set to fully open this July.
The museum, found around 2 km from the Giza pyramid complex, has been partially open since October 2024, with visitors able to explore the 12 main galleries. But from 3 July, guests will be able to wander the much-anticipated Tutankhamun Galleries as well as Khufu’s Boats Museum.
The Tutankhamun Galleries will contain the full collection of artefacts found within the boy king’s near-intact tomb, which was famously rediscovered by British Egyptologist Howard Carter in 1922. That amounts to more than 5,000 objects.
Within the Khufu’s Boats Museum, visitors will also be able to see one of the two ships found sealed in a pit part of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest of the three major pyramids in the area, which served as the tomb for Pharaoh Khufu. A solar barque, it is believed the vessel was created to carry Khufu into the afterlife alongside the sun god Ra, and dates back to around 2500 BC.
As a whole, the museum contains more than 100,000 objects, including the world’s only Hanging Obelisk, which has been relocated from Tanis, an archaeological site in the north eastern Nile Delta, to the Grand Egyptian Museum’s entrance. Along the Grand Staircase Gallery, there are more than 60 statues and objects across a number of themes, including Royal Image, Divine Houses, Gods & Kings, and Journey to Eternity.
The 12 main galleries are split chronologically, and then into three themes: Society, Kingship, and Beliefs. The first section covers from the Prehistoric Period up until the First Intermediate Period; the second, the Middle Kingdom and the Second Intermediate Period; the third, the New Kingdom; and the fourth, the Third Intermediate Period, the Late Period and the Graeco-Roman Period.
The official opening was confirmed to be taking place on 3 July via the Grand Egyptian Museum Instagram page.
Tickets, which start from EGP1,200 (£19) for adults, are available online on the Visit GEM website.
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