Beside the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt has officially opened the Grand Egyptian Museum, a colossal new cultural landmark showcasing 7,000 years of history.
The $1.2 billion complex, hailed as the world’s largest archaeological museum, houses around 100,000 artefacts spanning from prehistoric Egypt to the Greek and Roman eras. Its centrepiece is the complete collection from Tutankhamun’s tomb, displayed together for the first time since its discovery by Howard Carter in 1922.
Dr Tarek Tawfik, former head of the museum, said the goal was to recreate the wonder of that discovery by presenting the entire tomb experience as Carter saw it. Among the museum’s highlights are Tutankhamun’s gold mask and chariots, the 4,500-year-old funerary boat of Khufu, and an 11-metre statue of Ramses II. The museum’s alabaster exterior, pyramid-shaped entrance, and grand staircase lined with royal statues overlook the ancient Giza plateau.
𓄂𓆃 On November 1st at 6 PM (Cairo time), the Grand Opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum goes LIVE on TikTok 🇪🇬
It’s not just an event, it’s history happening in front of your eyes.
Be there. Watch it. Feel the pride.#GrandEgyptianMuseum #GEM #Egypt #المتحف_المصري_الكبير pic.twitter.com/TVOgUmjuQ9
— ♡⃕ ꪔ̤̥ (@MenoMzz9) October 30, 2025
The project took decades to complete, delayed by political upheaval, financial crises, and the pandemic. Egyptologists such as Dr Zahi Hawass say the opening marks a national triumph and a statement of Egypt’s capability in preserving its own heritage. Hawass and others now urge the return of major artefacts held abroad, including the Rosetta Stone, Nefertiti’s bust, and the Dendera Zodiac. They argue that the new museum, built entirely by Egyptians, demonstrates Egypt’s readiness to reclaim its cultural treasures.
Tourism officials expect up to eight million visitors a year, heralding what they hope will be a new golden age for Egyptology and cultural tourism. As one local guide said, “When Tutankhamun’s full collection opens, the whole world will come back — because this is Egypt’s story, told at last on Egyptian soil.”
The highly anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum by Heneghan Peng Architects
Giza, Egypt 🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/kThbdCa5bY
— Architectural Art (A-A) (@4AAAAart) October 8, 2025
