After more than two decades of planning and construction, Egypt is set to inaugurate the Grand Egyptian Museum, the world's largest archaeological museum, in an international celebration on November 1. The event will draw world leaders and prominent figures, marking a major cultural milestone for Cairo. Located on the Giza Plateau near the Pyramids, the museum houses over 100,000 artifacts.
The Grand Egyptian Museum sits on the Giza Plateau near the Pyramids of Giza, spanning over 300,000 square meters with vast exhibition halls and the Middle East's largest restoration center. It will display more than 100,000 artifacts covering ancient Egyptian history from the pre-dynastic era to the Greco-Roman period. Highlights include the complete Tutankhamun collection, shown in full for the first time since its 1922 discovery, Queen Hetepheres's belongings—mother of Khufu—and Khufu's reconstructed solar boats.
Designed by Irish firm Heneghan Peng, the structure merges modern geometry with pharaonic symbolism, aligning with sun rays from the three pyramids. Construction started in 2005 and finished in 2021, followed by preparations for installation, conservation, and staff training. The concept dates to the 1990s with an international architectural competition under UNESCO and the International Union of Architects. In 2016, a prime ministerial decree created the Grand Egyptian Museum Authority, reorganized in 2020 as a public economic entity under the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi chairs its Board of Trustees.
Ahead of the opening, President Al-Sisi met with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy, and Mohamed El-Saady, the ceremony's general supervisor, to review preparations. Presidential spokesperson Mohamed El-Shenawy said the president stressed ensuring the event reflects Egypt's global cultural leadership. The ceremony will be attended by kings, presidents, and cultural figures. Madbouly declared November 1 a paid public holiday for government employees to ease movement. The prime minister described the museum as Egypt's gift to the world, a symbol of its UNESCO-recognized heritage.
The museum will host cultural and educational events, including a children's museum, education center, cinema, conference hall, and commercial areas. It employs state-of-the-art technologies for interactive displays and conservation, poised to attract millions of visitors annually and boost Egypt's cultural tourism.