Egypt Daily News – The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities will begin the trial opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum today, Wednesday, in the Giza Plateau area, in the presence of Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, the Prime Minister.
The opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum
All the halls have been prepared for the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum by the ministry, so that the trial operation will be a unique experience where the visitor or tourist can feel the greatness and awe of the Egyptian civilization.
The artifacts in the museum
The museum houses hundreds of artifacts of various sizes and shapes, including the 30-foot tall statue of Ramses, which is 3,200 years old. All these artifacts will be available during the trial opening that the world will witness.
It is also expected that a number of surprises will be revealed during the inauguration, along with important figures related to the tourism and antiquities sector, in light of the attention the Egyptian state gives to antiquities.
As for the artifacts housed in the museum, they date back from the pre-dynastic period to the Roman and Greek eras. Additionally, the ministry has prepared the halls in terms of temperature to be suitable for visitors while also preserving the artifacts.
The Museum will host over 100,000 artifacts from ancient Egyptian civilization, including the complete Tutankhamun collection, and many pieces will be displayed for the first time. With 81,000 m2 (872,000 sq ft) of floor space, it will be the world’s largest archeological museum. It is being built as part of a new master plan for the Giza Plateau, known as “Giza 2030”.
The GEM will also host permanent exhibition galleries, temporary exhibitions, special exhibitions, children museum, and virtual and large format screens with a total floor area of 32,000 m2.
The museum was built by a joint venture of the Belgian BESIX Group and the Egyptian Orascom Construction.
