The Grand Egyptian Museum Is Officially Open After 20 Years — Here’s What’s Inside

The Grand Egyptian Museum (aka GEM) has been a loooong time coming, and now it’s actually here!

First proposed in 1992, the foundation stone was laid in 2002.

Official construction began in 2005, and after delays due to COVID-19, among other things, it is now officially open.

Its creation took almost as long as it took to build the Great Pyramid, according to the BBC.

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(And it also happens to have a spectacular view of the pyramids.)

The GEM spans a whopping 5,400,000 square feet.

It houses more than 100,000 artifacts…

Sooo many artifacts…

It’s reportedly the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization.

There are 12 exhibition halls organized by era, from the prehistoric period to the Graeco-Roman period.

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One of the highlights of the museum is the statue of Ramses II, which stands in the entrance hall.

He sure is colossal.

Then there’s the grand staircase, lined with 60 artifacts.

The perfect spot for a sit-down chat or a selfie, y’know, in amongst all those ancient, priceless relics.

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Another highlight is King Khufu’s funerary boat, which is over 4,500 years old.

But the crowning exhibit of the GEM is undoubtedly the Tutankhamun gallery, which houses the entire contents of the famous pharaoh’s tomb on display together for the first time.

There are nearly 6,000 King Tut artifacts in the gallery.

They include his golden sarcophagus…

…a wooden portrait carving…

…his jewelry…

…and even a pair of his sandals.

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“I had the idea of displaying the complete tomb, which means nothing remains in storage, nothing remains in other museums,” Dr Tarek Tawfik, president of the International Association of Egyptologists and former head of the GEM, told the BBC.

“You get to have the complete experience, the way Howard Carter had it over a hundred years ago.”

It’s definitely a must-see for anyone who was once (or still is) an absolute nerd for Ancient Egypt.

And let’s face it, who amongst us wasn’t (unless you were more of a Greek mythology girlie, of course)?

I, for one, am adding the GEM to my bucket list right now.

You can learn more about the Grand Egyptian Museum (and buy tickets, in case you just so happen to be in Egypt!) here.

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