The World's Largest Archaeological Museum Just Opened in Cairo, and It's More Than Just Ancient Artifacts-Here's a Look Inside

"Twenty years of planning and construction. A billion-dollar budget. Nearly 50,000 artifacts spanning more than 5,000 years. The numbers behind the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) are staggering, and yet somehow don't capture the scope of what might be the country's most ambitious undertaking since the Pyramids of Giza. Entering the museum, visitors stand face-to-face with a 3,200-year-old, 36-foot-tall statue of King Ramses II that towers over the sun-drenched atrium."

"A gallery devoted to King Tutankhamen, slated to open at the end of the year, will reunite more than 6,000 artifacts (including alabaster vessels, jewelry, and a golden funerary mask) for the first time since their 1922 discovery in Luxor's Valley of the Kings. In another wing debuting this winter, a climate-controlled pavilion will house two of King Khufu's reconstructed solar boats-meant to ferry the pharaoh to the afterlife with the sun god Ra."

Twenty years of planning and construction and a billion-dollar budget produced the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which displays nearly 50,000 artifacts spanning over 5,000 years. Visitors encounter a 3,200-year-old, 36-foot statue of King Ramses II in a sunlit atrium. Twelve open galleries trace Egypt's history chronologically, with thematic trails using video, sound, and relic displays including papyrus, mummy beds, and carved deities. A King Tutankhamen gallery will reunite over 6,000 artifacts, and a climate-controlled pavilion will house reconstructed solar boats of King Khufu. The museum also offers local designer boutiques, gift shops, and curated tourism experiences.

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