The event was also an opportunity to highlight Egyptian talent, with performances by opera soprano Fatma Said (who also performed at the GEM’s first concert in January 2023) and violin duo Amira and Mariam Abouzahra, along with traditional whirling dervishes and a Nubian singer.
An on-screen narration showed a child walking through the museum and offered viewers a preview of the treasures inside, culminating with Khufu’s solar ships and Tutankhamun’s collection, which will be fully revealed to the public for the first time starting Tuesday, November 4. Following the ceremony, world leaders, dignitaries and VIP guests were offered private tours of the museum.
Spanning 5 million square feet, the Grand Egyptian Museum includes the Hanging Obelisk Plaza; main atrium with a 36-foot-tall, 83-ton, 3,200-year-old statue of Ramses II; grand staircase lined with dozens of colossal statues; 12 main galleries spanning from prehistory to the Greco-Roman period; Children’s Museum; Tutankhamun Gallery; Solar Boat Museum; the largest catering center in the Middle East; exhibition halls; and conference spaces.
“The museum is phenomenal because of the variety, quality and quantity of objects,” said Salima Ikram, a professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo.
Plans for the museum were first announced in 1992 during the government of President Hosni Mubarak, who laid the foundation stone a decade later. Construction began in 2005, but political turmoil, economic challenges and global events (from the 2011 revolution to the Covid-19 pandemic and regional conflicts) repeatedly delayed its completion. The Japan International Cooperation Agency provided most of the financing, with two loans totaling $800 million.
Parts of the Grand Egyptian Museum opened to the public in November 2022, starting with the main atrium and shopping area. In October 2024, the main galleries opened, leaving only Tutankhamun’s prized collection and Khufu’s solar ships hidden until the official opening.
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