The Grand Egyptian Museum

Welcome to the Grand Egyptian Museum, one of the latest additions to Egypt’s already infinite number of mind-blowing attractions. Also known as the Giza Museum, this sprawling complex is still a work in progress. At the time of writing this post (April 2018), the museum is still under construction, with the latest reports from the Egyptian Ministry of Culture promising that a partial opening will take place at some point during 2018.

Once the Grand Egyptian Museum has been completed, it will cover an area of around 480,000 square meters (5,200,000 sq ft) which effectively means that it will be the biggest archeological museum in the world.

The museum will also house the entire collection of artifacts which were recovered from the tomb of King Tutankhamen. This will be the first time ever that the entire Tutankhamen collection has been on display simultaneously at a single venue.

Location of the Grand Egyptian Museum

The all new Giza Museum will be located on the outskirts of Cairo, on the Giza Plateau, approximately 2kms from one of Egypt’s most famous and most popular attractions, the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Interestingly, the museum’s north and south walls will be perfectly aligned with two of the three Giza Pyramids, the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Menkaure.

What to Expect When You Visit

Upon arrival at the new Giza Museum, visitors will first pass through a large plaza full of date plants before entering a large atrium where they will be greeted by several giant statues which will come from various sites around the country. The front façade of the building is an eye-catching translucent wall made from alabaster, and it is undeniably one of the building’s leading features.

The museum’s exhibition will occupy roughly a third of the site, and it will showcase an estimated 50,000 artifacts. The main attractions will of course be the exhibition of Tutankhamen’s “full tomb” collection which consists of about 5,000 individual items, many of which have never been on public display before.

Tutankhamen’s mummy will also be moved from his tomb in the Valley of Kings on Luxor’s West Bank to the all-new Grand Egyptian Museum. Two other small mummies that were discovered in his tomb will also be put on display as part of the King Tutankhamen exhibition. It is widely believed that these two small mummies are the mummies of two of his still-born children.

According to the authorities, those who visit the exhibition will feel as if they are actually a part of King Tutankhamen’s funeral procession. With one of the walls being made from glass, visitors will also be able to see the Great Pyramids in the background.