Egypt opens long-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum near pyramids after 20 years
Illustrative photo: A new museum was built near the world-famous pharaoh pyramids (Getty Images)
In Cairo, Egypt, a new museum near the pyramids officially opened on November 1 after 20 years of construction. Named the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), it drew celebrities, politicians, and royalty for its inauguration, Reuters reports.
Construction began in 2005 but was delayed by the Arab Spring, various crises, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these setbacks, the museum opened two decades after work started.
"We've all dreamed of this project, and whether it would really come true. A gift from Egypt to the whole world from a country whose history goes back more than 7,000 years," Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said during the opening.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi also attended, saying Egypt was "writing a new chapter in the story of this ancient nation's present and future."
High-ranking international officials joined the event, including German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, and the Crown Princes of Oman and Bahrain.
What's in the museum?
The museum's main collection features treasures from the tomb of the world-famous Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Discovered in 1922, over a century ago, the collection now resides in the museum. It includes the legendary gold funerary mask, throne, and sarcophagus of the boy king.
The main hall also displays another famous exhibit: a colossal statue of the conqueror Pharaoh Ramses II. It stood for decades in a central Cairo square named after the pharaoh.
The complex is designed in an ancient Egyptian style, though it differs completely from its predecessor, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, built over 100 years ago in a neoclassical style. Covering an area equivalent to the Vatican, the new museum cost over $1 billion to build.
The old museum was looted and partially destroyed in 2011 during the Muslim Brotherhood uprising. Many priceless artifacts were stolen and sold into private hands.
Egyptian officials say the new museum will help end claims that Egypt has neglected its ancient treasures and strengthen Cairo's calls for the return of Egyptian artifacts held in foreign museums.
Louver robbery: what’s known
On October 19, the Louver Museum in Paris had to close temporarily after eight jewels were stolen from the Apollo Gallery, valued at €88 million. The thieves entered through a window using a cargo lift and a circular saw, completing the robbery in minutes.
It reported that the stolen items included a tiara from the collection of Queen Hortense and Queen Marie-Amélie.
After the theft, the Louver moved some of its most valuable items to the Bank of France for safekeeping. The bank stores its gold and currency reserves underground.
Recently, authorities arrested two people involved in the heist and caught four others at a football match.
