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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.
The museum cost $1 billion to build. Djehouty/CC BY-SA 4.0
Outside the main entrance of the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo on April 25, 2025. Autumn Spredemann/The Epoch Times
Originally the brainchild of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in 1992, plans to build a museum that would illuminate the nation’s illustrious past and bring together its massive collection of antiquities in a new location began in earnest in 2002.
The dream of a more modern facility to house the wonders of ancient Egypt was born out of necessity. Years of backlogged repairs and shrinking floor space have plagued the older pink stone antiquities museum, which opened to the public in 1902.
Located in the heart of downtown Cairo near Tahrir Square, the original Egyptian Museum struggles with dim lighting, modernization requirements, and a lack of space for the country’s ever-expanding collection of ancient treasures.
However, since construction on the GEM began, financial, political, and environmental setbacks delayed progress until the soft opening phase was kicked off in July 2024.
Since then, the GEM has moved into the spotlight and is open for business, but with a catch. The grand opening ceremony—and the chance to see the riches of King Tut’s tomb at its new location—is set for July 3. The ceremony appears to be on schedule, but the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities also announced that the GEM will be closed from June 15 until July 5 to carry out “organized and logistical work.”
The grand opening ceremony has been pushed multiple times in order to accommodate the heavy security needed to move and properly house the millions of dollars worth of gold found in the tomb of the boy king commonly known as King Tut, discovered in 1922.
Tourists who plan to visit the GEM ahead of Egypt’s scorching hot summer months will be happy to know that there’s an abundance of important artifacts already on display.
Modern Elegance
Just past the imposing statue of Ramses II in the main entry hall, the grand staircase hosts more than 50 statues and carvings. It’s a literal “who’s who” of ancient Egypt.
A showcase of thousands of years of dynastic Egypt is on display on the grand staircase inside the Grand Egyptian Museum on April 25, 2025. Autumn Spredemann/The Epoch Times
Visitors can see artifacts belonging to some of the most well-known Egyptian pharaohs, including Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Akhenaten, and Ramses II, whose reign lasted 67 years.
“It’s unbelievable how impressive it all is, and we haven’t even made it past the stairs yet,” UK tourist Roger Davies told The Epoch Times.
Visitors admire statues on the grand staircase inside the new Grand Egyptian Museum on April 25, 2025. Autumn Spredemann/The Epoch Times
The Grand Egyptian Museum is the largest archaeological museum in the world. Tamer A Soliman/Shutterstock
Davies and his wife, Liv, have visited Egypt several times over the past 20 years, mostly to escape the winter chill along the Red Sea. However, Davies said they made a special trip this year to see the GEM before all the tourist crowds arrived for the grand opening.
“It’s got quite a bit of press already, and I imagine the [museum] galleries will be packed this summer,” Davies said.
When asked if there was a specific collection or artifact at the GEM that piqued their interest, Davies said they hoped to see some of the “stuff that’s been sitting out of sight” at the old Egyptian Museum downtown.
The GEM brings together 100,000 artifacts from antiquity, many of which have never been available to the public because of space constraints.
In the GEM, galleries are arranged in a progressive timeline, starting with neolithic and pre-dynastic relics and moving up to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. The oldest artifacts on display date to 700,000 B.C.
“It’s astonishing and elegant, the whole museum. It’s even more impressive if you go see the other museum first,” U.S. tourist Emma Walters told The Epoch Times.
Gold and lapis lazuli stone scarab on display inside the New Kingdom exhibit at the Grand Egyptian Museum on April 25, 2025. Autumn Spredemann/The Epoch Times
Wooden statues of ancient Egyptian soldiers are on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum. HitchLens/Shutterstock
In With The New
Walters works as a nurse in Colorado but has always harbored a fascination with ancient Egypt. She said the GEM came as a “wonderful surprise” and a bonus during her stay in Cairo.
“I went and saw the old museum first since King Tut’s exhibit is still there and wow, what a difference,” she said.
Walters said the original Egyptian Museum is “classic,” but she believes that the GEM is a much-needed upgrade.
“In some of the side halls [of the old museum], there’s nothing to protect the non-famous artifacts from being touched, and you could literally see stuff covered in dust. It was time for a change,” she said.
Both Walters and Davies said being able to see the Pyramids of Giza from the floor-to-ceiling windows at the top of the GEM’s grand staircase is a bonus.
The pyramids can be seen from the Grand Egyptian Museum's main hallway. Colinmthompson/Shutterstock
Situated at the edge of the Giza Plateau, tourists who want to visit legendary landmarks like the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx can easily find time to include the GEM, which is a short 15-minute drive away.
In March, the Egyptian government announced plans to make it even easier to see the new museum with the launch of a $120 million luxury hotel next door.
For now, lodging to fit every budget is available in the Giza district. From wallet-friendly, family-run guest houses boasting terrace views of the pyramids to the opulent Marriott Mena House, tourists can easily find a place to stay close to the GEM.
With such a large footprint and so much to see, tour agencies recommend allowing up to four hours to explore the galleries. If that sounds daunting, visitors can take a break and have lunch or a coffee at one of seven restaurants inside the museum or stroll a variety of upscale shops along the indoor promenade.
There’s even a Starbucks for those craving the familiar.
The onsite Children’s Museum is a fun option for families traveling with aspiring young archaeologists, and there are interactive video displays inside the museum’s main galleries.
“I’d say this is a must-see if you’re coming to Egypt, especially if you have more than one day in Cairo,” Davies said.
Walters shares this sentiment and said anyone arriving after July “lucked out.”
“They’ll be able to see it all in one shot here [at the GEM],” she said. “You really need to make a day of it if you want to see it all, though.”
With prices at roughly $24 for an adult admission ticket, visitors are already arriving in droves to view this stunning collection of ancient wonders under its shiny new roof.
