Kathmandu: Egypt has officially opened the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the world’s largest archaeological museum, near the Great Pyramid of Giza, marking what many describe as a new cultural era for the country, the BBC reported.
The $1.2 billion museum houses around 100,000 artefacts spanning 7,000 years of Egyptian history, including the complete collection from the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, displayed together for the first time since its discovery in 1922. Highlights also include the funerary boat of Khufu, a colossal statue of Ramses II, and a suspended obelisk.
Authorities expect up to eight million visitors annually, offering a major boost to Egypt’s tourism sector. Egyptologists say the museum’s opening strengthens calls for the repatriation of key artefacts, including the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum, the Zodiac from the Louvre, and the Bust of Nefertiti from Berlin.
The project, first proposed in 1992, faced years of delays due to political unrest, financial crises, and the pandemic. Egyptian archaeologists hailed the museum as a symbol of national pride and a demonstration that Egypt now leads global efforts in preservation and research of its ancient heritage.