The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), inaugurated tomorrow, is an everlasting cultural message from Egypt to the world, showing how the country has combined the greatness of its past with the brilliance of the present, according to Ali Abou Dashish,an expert of the Egyptian antiquities.
“GEM is a powerful and eternal message of history, creativity, and resilience, from Egypt to the world,” he said.
“Located only two kilometres from the Pyramids of Giza, the GEM forms a golden triangle that has no equal,” Abou Dashish said, adding that it is the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilisation.
Abou Dashish added that the project, which started as a dream, has become a national achievement and a turning point in preserving world heritage. “It will be Egypt’s main gateway for presenting its history to the world using modern technology,” he noted.
Abou Dashish highlighted the museum’s impressive architecture and distinctive features.
Built on a massive area of 100,000 square metres, the museum devotes 45,000 square metres to exhibition space. Displays follow a chronological order supported by the latest multimedia tools to offer visitors an immersive journey through time.
At the centre of the building stands the Grand Staircase, which Abou Dashish described as “the beating heart of the museum”. Visitors ascend gradually through history, surrounded by huge statues of ancient Egyptian kings, creating a powerful and emotional experience.
The permanent exhibition halls, spread over 18,000 square metres, hold tens of thousands of artifacts that tell the story of Egypt from prehistoric times to the Roman era.
For the first time ever, the complete treasures of King Tutankhamun, 5,398 unique items discovered intact in his tomb in 1922,will be displayed together in one place. “This collection is the crown jewel of the museum,” Abou Dashish said.
A large space has been dedicated to this collection, giving visitors the chance to see the famous golden mask, throne, jewellery, and canopic jars that once accompanied the young pharaoh in his journey to eternity. “The museum is now the final home for these priceless treasures, which increases its global importance,” he added.
Antiquities expert Mohamed Ibrahim said Egypt “is writing a new chapter in human civilisation” with the museum’s official opening today, attended by world leaders, cultural figures, and international experts.
“The museum presents a huge number of artifacts shown for the first time. visitors will experience a mix of authenticity and modern design,” Ibrahim said, adding that the event will create global excitement and renew fascination with Egypt’s ancient civilisation.
Ibrahim delineated the wider value of the museum.“The GEM is a driver of Egypt’s tourism development, expected to attract over 18 million visitors annually. This will boost the tourism sector, increase hotel occupancy rates, and bring more foreign currency to the economy,” he said.
“The GEM also represents Egypt’s window to the world — a place that encourages cultural exchange and dialogue. It will help promote Egyptian identity, support education about ancient history, and revive traditional crafts and arts,” he added.
The GEM, he further noted, will be a global platform for co-operation on cultural heritage and will strengthen Egypt’s leadership role in the region.
It is much more than a place to display artifacts.As Ibrahim put it, it is “an eternal icon lighting up Cairo’s skyline, a source of pride for every Egyptian and an open invitation for the world to discover the secret of immortality that ancient Egypt preserved for thousands of years.”
