You are currently viewing Grand Egyptian Museum partially opens to public

By Hafsa Khalil, BBC News

A highly anticipated museum housing the world’s largest collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts has opened the doors to some of its galleries.

More than 20 years in the making, the sprawling 120-acre Grand Egyptian Museum near the pyramids of Giza, will showcase more than 100,000 objects, including treasures from the tomb of King Tutankhamun.

The boy-king’s priceless collection is yet to be displayed, but visitors can now see items varying from pharaonic statues to sarcophagi and mummified bodies.

The museum was initially scheduled to open in 2012, but cost, political turmoil and later, the Covid-19 pandemic, caused repeated delays. To date, the mega-project has cost more than $1bn (£768m).

The partial opening is a trial run, following the last year’s opening of the main hall and stairway. The official opening date yet to be announced.

Here, we collect some of the most striking pictures of the newly opened galleries.

Getty Images two sarcophagi on display
Getty Images  Rulers and the wealthy were often buried in sarcophagi, stone coffins that were often decorated
Getty Images An army of statues each holding a spear and a shield, standing in lines
Getty Images
Getty Images Dozens of statuettes on display behind glass
Getty Images More than 100,000 artefacts will be displayed once the museum is fully open
Getty Images Ancient Egyptian wall paintings in a hall, with two columns in the centre and benches for visitors to sit on
Getty Images  Wall paintings were a significant part of the country’s ancient civilisation
Getty Images Pharaonic statues placed on a staircase
Getty Images  Visitors to the museum can walk among pharaonic statues
Getty Images A visitor taking a photograph of an ancient stone wall covered in hieroglyphs
Getty Images
Reuters An ancient Egyptian artefact depicting a pharaoh with gold detailing
Reuters   Rulers and the wealthy adorned their coffins with gold and precious gems and filled their tombs with treasure, believing they would take them into the afterlife
Ayuure Atafori
Author: Ayuure Atafori

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