The Grand Egyptian Museum finally opens – what took so long?
Billion-dollar museum to open two decades after construction began
- The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Cairo is scheduled to open to the public on Tuesday, November 4, two decades after construction began and a dozen years behind schedule.
- Located near the Giza Pyramids, the billion-dollar (£760m) project is the planet's largest museum, with a footprint exceeding that of Vatican City.
- It will display an astonishing 50,000 artefacts, including the 36-foot statue of Ramses II and the complete Tutankhamun collection, which occupies two dedicated halls.
- The opening date marks the 103rd anniversary of British archaeologist Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922.
- Tickets for foreigners cost 730 Egyptian pounds (approximately £12) and are available exclusively from visit-gem.com, with photography permitted but restrictions on flash, tripods, and live streaming.