Grand Egyptian Museum Debuts with Full Tutankhamun Collection

Sat Nov 01 2025 16:38:27 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The Grand Egyptian Museum, the world's largest archaeological museum, showcases the complete treasures of Tutankhamun's tomb for the first time, marking a new era in Egyptology and cultural tourism.

Located near the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum has officially opened, featuring 100,000 artefacts spanning 7,000 years of history. Highlighting the complete tomb of Tutankhamun, the museum aims to attract millions of visitors annually, revitalizing Egyptian tourism while reigniting calls for the return of key artifacts housed abroad.

Located near one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza - Egypt has officially opened the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), hailed as a cultural highlight of the modern era.

Described as the world's largest archaeological museum, GEM hosts around 100,000 artefacts, encapsulating 7,000 years of Egyptian history from pre-dynastic times through the Greek and Roman eras.

A major attraction will be the full display of the treasures from Tutankhamun's tomb, which includes his iconic gold mask, throne, and chariots, all exhibited together for the first time since their discovery by British Egyptologist Howard Carter in 1922. This comprehensive exhibition, showcasing every artefact from the intact tomb, aims to provide visitors with an experience akin to what Carter would have seen over a century ago.

Costing approximately $1.2 billion, the museum is expected to draw up to 8 million visitors each year, significantly boosting Egypt's tourism sector, which has faced challenges in recent years due to regional crises and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to the Tutankhamun exhibit, GEM features exhibits like the funerary boat of Khufu, one of the oldest and best-preserved vessels from antiquity. Other notable highlights include a 32-meter-long suspended obelisk of the powerful pharaoh Ramesses II, alongside his massive statue, which was relocated to the museum in a complex operation from Cairo.

The opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum is viewed as a significant opportunity for Egyptologists advocating for the return of precious artefacts held internationally, such as the Rosetta Stone and the Bust of Nefertiti.

Dr. Tarek Tawfik, former head of GEM, emphasized the importance of presenting the complete collection of Tutankhamun's treasures, expressing hope that the new museum will usher in a golden age for Egyptology and cultural tourism.