Almost a century in the past, American archaeologists working close to the Pyramids of Giza made an unbelievable discovery: a secret burial chamber affected by gilded treasures. They’d simply uncovered the tomb of Queen Hetepheres I, the mom of King Khufu, together with a collection of royal bed room furnishings. The objects inside had been over 4,600 years outdated.

By means of painstaking restoration work, the queen’s mattress, throne, and belongings had been fastidiously restored to their former glory. The Hetepheres assortment now sits among the many hundreds of unbelievable artefacts on the newly-opened Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Cairo.

The show, which included a baldachin body that when draped luxurious materials, transported me again to a royal life hundreds of years in the past and made historical past really feel strikingly tangible. For me, this was undoubtedly one of many highlights of my go to to the GEM.

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Touted because the world’s largest archaeological museum, the GEM has been within the making for nearly twenty years. Whereas it’s been steadily opening since 2022, the primary points of interest – believed to be as many as 100,000 archaeological artefacts – have been stored beneath wraps till not too long ago.

To the delight of historical past buffs, 12 of the museum’s galleries had been lastly opened to the general public in October 2024.  Having been primarily based in Dahab for numerous years, I’m amongst many historic Egypt followers who’ve eagerly counted down the times to the grand opening. Although nonetheless a gentle opening (as some areas had but to be unveiled), I used to be nonetheless excited see what treasures had been in retailer.

However is visiting the Grand Egyptian Museum earlier than it’s totally open value it?

The museum’s sheer dimension, framed by the Nice Pyramids of Giza, create a powerful backdrop. Designed by an Eire-based structure agency, the huge triangular geometry and motifs throughout the constructing seem to cleverly mix with the 4,000-year-old structure of the pyramids past. The work put into curating the GEM expertise clearly reveals, and it’s unsurprising the constructing has already been named among the many most stunning museums on this planet.

I stepped by safety, bought a ticket (£1,200 Egyptian kilos, or £19 GBP), and continued towards the galleries, cautious that the final entry was at 4pm.

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Worlds aside from the chaos of the outdated Egyptian Museum, I used to be welcomed by peaceable water options, an historic hanging obelisk, and only a few vacationers in sight. Upon entry, I used to be confronted by the famed 83-ton Ramses II statue, which guards the huge gray interiors of the GEM atrium. Every part, from the data centre and reward store to the flowery cafes, bears the hallmarks of a extremely prized and punctiliously maintained venture.

Subsequent got here the museum’s Grand Staircase, which guides guests to the galleries. The ascent invitations you on a journey by historic Egyptian perception programs, showcasing a powerful show of statues and historic facades primarily based on the themes of ‘Kings and Gods’ and the ‘Journey to Eternity’. On the prime, guests are greeted with a panoramic view of a pharaoh’s last resting place – the pyramids, which I assumed was a becoming, well-curated finish to my climb.

The gorgeous gallery entry, lined with electrical blue lights, was notably placing; you actually felt the magnitude of the room and the historical past it held inside. The 12 open galleries cowl historic Egyptian life from the prehistoric and early Dynasties to the Late Interval. Every monumental room is fastidiously divided, loosely primarily based on the themes of beliefs, kingship and society throughout every interval.

Guests can spend hours meandering by the fastidiously looked-after shows, catching glimpses of hieroglyphs hand-painted by Egyptians hundreds of years in the past and never-before-seen artefacts which have sat in storage till now.

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A papyrus assortment in a single nook of the museum detailed the on a regular basis tales of individuals speaking with their relations. One other show showcased an historic chess-like board sport known as Senet, the place the gamers’ items go by the underworld and into the afterlife. Intricate jewelry, superbly embellished pots, and a wealth of family objects paint a vibrant image of historic Egyptian life.

The multimedia shows dotted among the many huge limestone artefacts are additionally fairly spectacular. Digital reconstructions and immersive shows documenting the area’s altering political panorama helped carry historical past into the current. As within the outdated museum, most individuals congregated across the mummies in Gallery 10. Though most of Egypt’s royal mummies are housed within the civilisation museum, GEM’s assortment had loads of highlights: the gold-plated stays of a younger lady, superbly embellished shrouds and even a mummified crocodile.

Regardless of the grandeur of the artefacts and shows, there are additionally indicators that the museum continues to be within the making. In any case, GEM’s most distinguished attraction – Tutankhamun’s treasures – continues to be closed to the general public. As I attempted to scan my ticket by turnstiles that weren’t operational but I used to be additional reminded that the museum is but to achieve its prime.

And whereas the galleries had been spectacular, some would possibly say the expertise feels disjointed. The stream between every space is barely disorienting, as there wasn’t a single path by all of the shows. An Egyptologist I spoke to additionally noticed the museum’s present assortment: “Statues, statues, statues.”

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Storytelling is simply as essential as a museum’s artefacts. However in some instances, accompanying descriptions (written in each Arabic and English) felt too matter-of-fact, needing a deeper narrative that connects guests to the tales behind the traditional objects. I discovered myself asking: Who was this particular person? The place was this artefact found? What does it inform us about life on the time? It’s arduous to attach with the humanity behind historical past with out these solutions. For that reason, I recommend becoming a member of one of many tour guides at GEM to raised perceive the context.

However is GEM nonetheless value a go to? I consider so. If something, immersing your self in a day on the GEM is the right respite from the bustle of Cairo’s different sights.

Because the galleries closed and I bid farewell to Ramses II one last time, I mirrored on the unbelievable artefacts I’d simply come head to head with – and the few I hadn’t. No surprise the GEM didn’t really feel full.

The Rosetta Stone, for instance, which nonetheless sits within the British Museum, ought to be right here. If something, the Grand Egyptian Museum’s unbelievable amenities and state-of-the-art know-how show that Egypt is greater than outfitted to lastly reclaim its historic treasures. Seeing historic artefacts stolen centuries in the past on show of their rightful residence would solidify GEM as a real celebration of Egypt’s unbelievable historical past.

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