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Almost a century ago, American archaeologists working near the Pyramids of Giza made an incredible discovery: a secret burial chamber littered with gilded treasures. They’d just uncovered the tomb of Queen Hetepheres I, the mother of King Khufu, along with a suite of royal bedroom furniture. The items inside were over 4,600 years old.
Through painstaking restoration work, the queen’s bed, throne, and belongings were carefully restored to their former glory. The Hetepheres collection now sits among the thousands of incredible artefacts at the newly-opened Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Cairo.
The display, which included a baldachin frame that once draped luxurious fabrics, transported me back to a royal life thousands of years ago and made history feel strikingly tangible. For me, this was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my visit to the GEM.
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Touted as the world’s largest archaeological museum, the GEM has been in the making for almost two decades. While it’s been gradually opening since 2022, the main attractions – believed to be as many as 100,000 archaeological artefacts – have been kept under wraps until recently.
To the delight of history buffs, 12 of the museum’s galleries were finally opened to the public in October 2024. Having been based in Dahab for a number of years, I’m among many ancient Egypt fans who have eagerly counted down the days to the grand opening. Though still a soft opening (as some areas had yet to be unveiled), I was still excited see what treasures were in store.
But is visiting the Grand Egyptian Museum before it’s fully open worth it?
The museum’s sheer size, framed by the Great Pyramids of Giza, create an impressive backdrop. Designed by an Ireland-based architecture firm, the vast triangular geometry and motifs across the building appear to cleverly blend with the 4,000-year-old architecture of the pyramids beyond. The work put into curating the GEM experience clearly shows, and it’s unsurprising the building has already been named among the most beautiful museums in the world.
I stepped through security, purchased a ticket (£1,200 Egyptian pounds, or £19 GBP), and continued toward the galleries, wary that the last entry was at 4pm.
Worlds apart from the chaos of the old Egyptian Museum, I was welcomed by peaceful water features, an ancient hanging obelisk, and very few tourists in sight. Upon entry, I was confronted by the famed 83-ton Ramses II statue, which guards the vast grey interiors of the GEM atrium. Everything, from the information centre and gift shop to the fancy cafes, bears the hallmarks of a highly prized and carefully maintained project.
Next came the museum’s Grand Staircase, which guides visitors to the galleries. The ascent invites you on a journey through ancient Egyptian belief systems, showcasing an impressive display of statues and ancient facades based on the themes of ‘Kings and Gods’ and the ‘Journey to Eternity’. At the top, visitors are greeted with a panoramic view of a pharaoh’s final resting place – the pyramids, which I thought was a fitting, well-curated end to my climb.
The beautiful gallery entry, lined with electric blue lights, was particularly striking; you really felt the magnitude of the room and the history it held inside. The 12 open galleries cover ancient Egyptian life from the prehistoric and early Dynasties to the Late Period. Each enormous room is carefully divided, loosely based on the themes of beliefs, kingship and society across each period.
Visitors can spend hours meandering through the carefully looked-after displays, catching glimpses of hieroglyphs hand-painted by Egyptians thousands of years ago and never-before-seen artefacts that have sat in storage until now.
A papyrus collection in one corner of the museum detailed the everyday stories of people communicating with their family members. Another display showcased an ancient chess-like board game called Senet, where the players’ pieces pass through the underworld and into the afterlife. Intricate jewellery, beautifully decorated pots, and a wealth of household objects paint a vibrant picture of ancient Egyptian life.
The multimedia displays dotted among the vast limestone artefacts are also pretty impressive. Virtual reconstructions and immersive displays documenting the region’s changing political landscape helped bring history into the present. As in the old museum, most people congregated around the mummies in Gallery 10. Although most of Egypt’s royal mummies are housed in the civilisation museum, GEM’s collection had plenty of highlights: the gold-plated remains of a young girl, beautifully decorated shrouds and even a mummified crocodile.
Despite the grandeur of the artefacts and displays, there are also signs that the museum is still in the making. After all, GEM’s most prominent attraction – Tutankhamun’s treasures – is still closed to the public. As I tried to scan my ticket through turnstiles that weren’t operational yet I was further reminded that the museum is yet to reach its prime.
And while the galleries were impressive, some might say the experience feels disjointed. The flow between each area is slightly disorienting, as there wasn’t a single path through all the displays. An Egyptologist I spoke to also observed the museum’s current collection: “Statues, statues, statues.”
Storytelling is just as important as a museum’s artefacts. But in some cases, accompanying descriptions (written in both Arabic and English) felt too matter-of-fact, needing a deeper narrative that connects visitors to the stories behind the ancient objects. I found myself asking: Who was this person? Where was this artefact discovered? What does it tell us about life at the time? It’s hard to connect with the humanity behind history without these answers. For this reason, I suggest joining one of the tour guides at GEM to better understand the context.
But is GEM still worth a visit? I believe so. If anything, immersing yourself in an afternoon at the GEM is the perfect respite from the bustle of Cairo’s other sights.
As the galleries closed and I bid farewell to Ramses II one final time, I reflected on the incredible artefacts I’d just come face to face with – and the few I hadn’t. No wonder the GEM didn’t feel complete.
The Rosetta Stone, for example, which still sits in the British Museum, should be here. If anything, the Grand Egyptian Museum’s incredible facilities and state-of-the-art technology prove that Egypt is more than equipped to finally reclaim its historical treasures. Seeing historic artefacts stolen centuries ago on display in their rightful home would solidify GEM as a true celebration of Egypt’s incredible history.
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