On October 16, 12 rooms containing a total of 24,000 objects belonging to the ancient Egyptian civilization are opened on a preliminary basis, which represents about a quarter of the collections that the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo when he first opens doors.
- 20 years of work
- Thematic and historical dreams
- Museum in numbers
- Objective: position Egypt as a global tourism destination
In March 2023, the main entrance hall was already opened to the public and the statues above the museum door and the stairs leading to the exhibition halls were unveiled.
20 years of work
If a date has not yet been set for the full opening of what should be the world’s largest museum (speculation is late 2024 or early 2025), the pharaonic project has not been – never said so well, already seeing the light of day.
Several decades have passed since then decided in 1992 to build a new museum. In 2004, the work beganbut they were hampered by the political upheaval known as the Arab Spring and the economic crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
These circumstances prevented the establishment of the museum in 2022, a doubly symbolic date for Egyptology, since the two hundred years since Egyptian writing was deciphered by Jean-François Champollionthank you Rosetta stone (1822), du hundred years since the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was discovered with the archaeological expedition led by Howard Carter (1922).
Thematic and historical dreams
For now, visitors can enjoy the magnificent entrance hall, with views of the sea the pyramids of Cheops and Chephren (two kilometers away), which will be connected to the new museum by a highway.
The hall is a seat a huge statue of more than 80 tons of the pharaoh Ramses IIwhose face is only illuminated by the rays of the sun twice a year, on the day of his birth and the day of his coronation.
The steps leading to the newly opened rooms are decorated with images from different periods of Egyptian civilization.
The 12 rooms open on October 16 are organized around three themes: society, royalty and religions. Four rooms are devoted to each of these subjects, following the periods of Egyptian history : the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, the New Kingdom and the Greco-Roman era.
Visitors will therefore be able to make a double trip: a thematic and cultural tour or a chronological itineraryto appreciate the 24,000 pieces on display.
It is estimated that the museum will have more than 100,000 pieces after the final opening, including some treasures from Tutankhamun’s tomb that have not been exhibited until now.
Museum in numbers
The 12 rooms that are already open to the public occupy an area of more than 22,000 square meters, which will quadruple when finished, with more than 100,000 square meters dedicated to exhibitions.
The main facade stretches almost a kilometer in length, making it the largest museum in the world, with a capacity of over 150,000 pieces.
The complex also includes modern facilities dedicated to the research and conservation of ancient objectswhich will stimulate local archeology and the study of Egyptian civilization.
Until now, the building of the museum is needed investment of one billion eurostwo-thirds of which were provided by Japanese investors.
Objective: position Egypt as a global tourism destination
In addition to this are the infrastructure investments that the Egyptian government has made to allow tourists to access the Giza plateau, with major projects such as the new Sphinx International Airportlocated near the pyramids, which allows up to 900 passengers to pass through per hour.
For Egypt, not only do all these projects mean the possibility of displaying more than 100,000 treasures of Egyptian civilization, in competition with international museums with important Egyptian collectionssuch as the British Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris and the Museo Egizio in Turin, but also to position itself as a major global tourist destination.
2024-11-17 12:01:00
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