Against the backdrop of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Giza – Egypt officially inaugurated the museum that aspires to become one of the most important cultural landmarks of the modern era.

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), described as the largest archaeological museum in the world, houses around 100,000 objects, spanning seven millennia of history.

The inauguration was held under the presidency of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in the presence of heads of state and high-level guests.

Among them were Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the Crown Prince of Oman, Prince Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said.

The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was also in Cairo, accompanied by his wife Mareva.

The leaders, accompanied by Egypt’s First Lady Entissar Mohamed Amer, were photographed in front of the museum’s characteristic glass façade. Impressive aerial shots highlighted the magnificence of the new complex, which dominates the edge of the desert, with the pyramids of Giza as a backdrop.

One of the most important exhibits of GEM is the full collection of the intact tomb of Tutankhamun, exhibited in its entirety for the first time since its discovery by the British Egyptologist Howard Carter. Among the exhibits are the golden funerary mask and his throne.

The new museum is colossal, covering an area equivalent to 70 football fields. Its façade is decorated with hieroglyphics and semi-translucent alabaster, with a pyramid-shaped entrance.

With a cost of 1.2 billion dollars, the vast complex is expected to attract up to 8 million visitors per year, giving a major boost to Egypt’s tourism, which has been hit by regional crises.

Egypt: Pharaonic spectacle in Cairo for the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum

Laser show, symphony orchestra, dancers with tunics inspired by ancient frescoes, golden scepters and crowns: a pharaonic spectacle marked the official inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo this evening.

“We are writing a new chapter in the history of the present and the future, in the name of this ancient homeland,” declared President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, hailing “the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization” before an audience composed of kings, heads of state and leaders from around the world.

“This is living proof of the genius of the people of Egypt,” he added from the large courtyard of the building, made of stone and glass, overlooking the pyramids of Giza.

Upon the arrival of the guests, unmanned aerial vehicles projected a message above the three pyramids and the Sphinx, welcoming them “to the land of peace” in English. This was followed by impressive scenes with ballets and operas from dozens of artists and extras in ancient-era costumes, before a spectacular fireworks show lit up the sky.

“Egypt will become the center of Egyptology, it is unacceptable that most international conferences are held outside the country,” noted Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy speaking to reporters.

Hopes for tourism

Egypt’s tourism sector, a vital source of foreign exchange and jobs, has been repeatedly disrupted over the past 15 years – from the 2011 uprising to waves of unrest and sporadic terrorist attacks that followed.

In recent years, tourism has shown signs of recovery, with 15 million visitors to Egypt in the first nine months of 2025, bringing in 12.5 billion dollars and recording a 21% increase compared to the previous year.

The tourism minister expressed hope that the museum, from “5,000 to 6,000 visitors a day” will reach “15,000”.

He estimated an annual surplus of “five million” tourists, “most of whom will visit the museum”.

The government is working to complete “a comprehensive plan” for the spatial development of northeastern Cairo, from the new Sphinx Airport international airport to the pyramids of Saqqara, including hotels, restaurants and shopping malls, Fathy said, while avoiding any questions about the cost of the ceremony.