The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)

EFT Team
September 29, 2021
Updated: January 11, 2025

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), also known as the Giza Museum, is a proposed museum dedicated to ancient Egyptian antiquities. Its purpose is to ensure that these treasures are preserved for future generations. While under construction, the museum partially opened in 2024 and 2025, showcasing the complete Tutankhamun collection with many pieces displayed for the first time. It is described as the largest archaeological museum in the world, capable of hosting 5 million visitors per year. The museum’s cost is $795 million, primarily supported by two loans from the Japanese government totaling $300 million.

Egypt’s Grand Egyptian Museum Overview

The museum’s design was selected through an architectural competition, similar to the Great Library of Alexandria. Specifically, the competition began on January 7, 2002, and it received 1,557 submissions from 82 nations, making it the second-largest architectural competition in history. Subsequently, in the second stage of the competition, only 20 entrants were asked to provide more details about their concepts. The judging then concluded on June 2, 2003. Ultimately, the firm Heneghan Peng from Dublin, Ireland, won the competition. They received $250,000 and the opportunity to see their concept come to life, which you can book through our Egypt tours.

Design of the Grand Egyptian Museum

The museum is designed in the shape of a chamfered triangle. Its architecture utilizes the level difference to create a new “edge” to the plateau. This surface is defined by a veil of translucent stone that shifts magically from day to night. The museum is located between the Nile River and the plateau, positioned 2 kilometers west of the pyramids at a highway junction. The north and south walls of the structure align exactly with the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Menkaure.

The new museum features cutting-edge technologies, including virtual reality. It also serves as an international communication hub for other museums, fostering engagement with local and international institutions. The Grand Egyptian Museum includes a children’s museum, a convention facility, a training center, and workshops modeled after ancient Pharaonic sites. One of the museum’s most significant features is the restoration center, which spans 32,000 meters and lies 10 meters below ground. It connects to the museum via a 300-meter tunnel for transferring items after restoration.

There are around 19 laboratories dedicated to conserving and repairing ancient Egyptian antiquities. These include a vase, glass, and metal lab for non-organic artifacts, a wood lab for wooden items, and a stone lab that cares for all sculptures on exhibit. The microbiological lab identifies and eradicates harmful microorganisms, while a microscope scanning lab prepares and analyzes samples. Additionally, the “Mummies Lab” is responsible for repairing the mummies of kings, queens, laborers, and even animals like cats and birds.

Area of the Grand Egyptian Museum

The Grand Egyptian Museum occupies a 50-hectare (120-acre) plot of land, situated about 2 kilometers from the Giza pyramids. This site is part of a new master plan for the plateau. A wide courtyard in front of the building is adorned with numerous date palms. The museum features a notable translucent stone wall made of pure alabaster, which forms the front face of the building. The main entrance boasts a large atrium where impressive statues will be displayed.

The Grand Egyptian Museum is designed as a cultural complex dedicated to Egyptology. It will feature 24,000 m² of permanent exhibition space, which is nearly four football fields in size. Additionally, there will be a children’s museum, a larger conference center, educational facilities, and extensive gardens on the site. Actual construction began on February 2, 2010. Hill International announced that Egypt’s Ministry of Culture had signed a contract with a joint venture of Hill and EHAF Consulting Engineers. This partnership will provide project management services throughout the design and construction of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

The Grand Egyptian Museum’s Development

Egyptian deposed President Hosni Mubarak laid the groundwork for the Grand Egyptian Museum on January 5, 2002. Subsequently, on August 25, 2006, workers transported the statue of King Ramesses II from Ramses Square to the Giza Plateau to prepare for the museum’s construction. Furthermore, in January 2018, they relocated the Ramesses II statue, which is over 3,200 years old, near the museum’s entrance. In addition to these efforts, the GEM secured a $300 million loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation in 2007. To support the project, the Egyptian government will contribute $147 million, while donations and international organizations will provide the remaining $150 million.

On January 11, 2012, Egypt’s Orascom Construction Industries (OCI) and the Belgian BESIX Group launched a joint venture after they received the contract for phase three of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). This deal, worth $810 million, raised the overall cost of the museum to $1.1 billion. On April 29, 2018, a fire broke out at the GEM’s entrance; however, firefighters contained the blaze, and no artifacts were destroyed. The source of the fire remains unknown. In May 2018, the last of King Tutankhamun’s chariots arrived at the GEM from overseas. According to Tarek Tawfik, GEM’s director, they set the estimated date for a complete formal launch for 2021 in November 2018.

Grand Egyptian Museum Exhibits

The museum occupies about one-third of the overall grounds, showcasing over 100,000 objects from various eras. The primary attraction is the first exhibition of King Tutankhamun‘s complete tomb collection, featuring around 5,000 pieces. Other significant items are being transferred from Luxor storage facilities and museums. These include the colossal statue of Amenhotep III and a four-ton pink granite figure of the deity Horus.

In addition, artifacts from Aswan, Minya, Sohag, Assiut, Beni Suef, Fayoum, the Delta, and Alexandria are also included. Check out our Egypt tours. Plan your ideal holiday to Egypt and explore everything it has to offer, including the Grand Egyptian Museum! We also offer Nile river cruises, which you may want to consider!

Opening Hours:

GEM Complex: Daily from 8:30 AM to 6 PM
Galleries: Daily from 9 AM to 5 PM
Last ticket purchase: 4 PM

Available Experiences

GEM main galleries
GEM children’s museum
GEM VIP special access

Ticket Prices

Adult: EGP 1,200
Child: EGP 600
Student: EGP 600

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