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One of the world’s most anticipated museums will finally open this year after a more than 20-year development process with work now complete on Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 24 Jan 2023
One of the world’s most anticipated museums will finally open this year after a more than 20-year development process with work now complete on Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).
GEM has experienced frequent delays since its first foundation stone was laid in February 2002. It seems, however, that its opening is imminent with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has confirmed that the museum itself is now 100% done, with only work on the areas surrounding it to be completed.
Designed by Dublin-based architecture firm Heneghan Peng Architects, the £718m (US$877m, €810m) museum will be housed inside a 480,000sq m (5.2 million sq ft) complex offering spectacular views of the ancient pyramids.
It will be the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilisation and will be home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts, with more than 100,000 objects, including the fourth shrine of King Tutankhamun.
GEM’s director, Tarek Tawfik has said the development will be “the museum of the 21st century,” with all means of modern technology taken into consideration in order to create an “unforgettable experience for the visitor” and to best protect the artefacts.
Once open GEM is expected to attract five million people a year. Ticket prices have been confirmed at LE60 (US$2, €1.85, £1.60) to Egyptian citizens, while foreign tourists will pay a premium of LE200 (US$6.70, €6.16, £5.45) to enter the museum. For Egyptian and foreign students, there is a 50% discount on tickets.
See more of the most anticipated museum openings in 2023 here
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