Inside Egypt’s New $1 Billion Grand Egyptian Museum

More than 100,000 artifacts are housed in this stunning new museum, which lives up to its goal of showcasing the magnificence of Egypt’s past

The Grand Egyptian Museum has enough room to showcase thousands of artifacts that have never been publicly displayed. Colinmthompson/Shutterstock

Upon entering the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, visitors are greeted by a nearly 40-foot-tall granite statue of King Ramses II, setting the tone for an unparalleled journey through what many consider one of the world’s leading ancient civilizations.

Spanning 117 acres at the edge of the famous Giza Plateau, the museum—commonly known as the GEM—is a crown jewel that was more than 20 years in the making. Today, it holds the distinction of being the largest archeological museum in the world.