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Egypt inaugurates the Grand Egyptian Museum in a lavish ceremony celebrating pharaonic heritage
Egypt officially inaugurated the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) on Saturday, marking a milestone in the country’s cultural history. The long-awaited opening was celebrated with a grand ceremony aimed at boosting tourism and showcasing Egypt’s ancient civilization to the world.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly described the moment as “a dream come true,” recalling the decades of planning and construction behind the project. Nearly 80 international delegations, including several heads of state and royal representatives, attended the evening ceremony near the Giza Plateau, home to the iconic pyramids.
Built over 20 years with financial and technical support from Japan, the museum cost more than $1 billion and covers half a million square meters. Its striking stone and glass design overlooks the pyramids, and its façade was illuminated in recent days in anticipation of the opening.
The museum’s centerpiece is the treasure of Tutankhamun, comprising nearly 5,000 artifacts displayed together for the first time. In total, the GEM houses more than 100,000 ancient objects, making it the largest museum dedicated to a single civilization. Visitors entering the vast atrium are greeted by a monumental 11-meter-tall, 83-ton granite statue of Pharaoh Ramses II, who ruled Egypt over 3,000 years ago.
Unlike the old Egyptian Museum in downtown Cairo, the GEM features immersive galleries, advanced lighting, virtual reality exhibits, and an interactive children’s museum. Guests can also watch conservators restore a 4,500-year-old solar boat through a glass wall in the conservation lab.
Tourism Minister Sherif Fathi expressed hopes that the GEM will position Egypt as the global center of Egyptology. After years of instability following the 2011 uprising, the tourism sector has rebounded strongly, with 15 million visitors generating $12.5 billion in the first nine months of 2025 — a 21% increase from last year. The government aims to attract an additional five million tourists annually, many of whom are expected to visit the new museum.
