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The long-awaited museum was reported to be ‘96.5%’ complete in August 2020
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 23 Mar 2021
The museum will host the entire Tutankhamun collection, comprising some 5000 objects including statues, jewellery and even a tunic Credit: CNNI
The fourth shrine of King Tutankhamun has been transferred to the upcoming Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza, Egypt, where it will undergo significant restoration work before going on display as part of a new permanent exhibition.
Previously housed at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, Egypt, the shrine is made from gilded wood and is the smallest of Tutankhamun’s shrines.
To ensure its safety during transit the shrine was dismantled into five parts using the techniques of the Ancient Egyptians before being wrapped in acid-free materials before it transportation.
According to Moamen Othman, head of the Museums Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the shrine was examined and a detailed report outlining its preservation status was taken before the transfer.
Dr Issa Zida, director general of Executive Affairs for Restoration and Transfer of Antiquities at GEM, said that the transfer was carried out according to international standards and the shrine would be reassembled by teams from both the GEM and the Egyptian Museum within the next few days.
The remaining three shrines are expected to be transferred at a later date, where they will go on display as part of the ‘Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh’ exhibition.
‘Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh’
Occupying a 7,000 sq ft (650sq m) gallery, Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh will tell the story of the ‘boy king’ who became Pharaoh when he was just eight or nine years old in 1342 BC and ruled Ancient Egypt for approximately nine years. He died in 1325 BC at the age of 25.
It will feature the entire Tutankhamun collection, which will be displayed in its entirety for the first time since its discovery by Howard Carter in 1922.
Boasting some 5000 objects, the exhibition will include never-before-seen artefacts, as well as those used in the touring exhibition developed by IMG Exhibitions of the same name. Travelling since 2018, the exhibition has made stops at London’s Saatchi Gallery in the UK and the California Science Centre in Los Angeles, US, and has appearances scheduled in Sydney, Australia and Boston, US, before it becomes part of the GEM’s permanent collection.
The exhibition will also feature a larger than life replica of Tutankhamun’s tomb, which will be more than 60 times bigger than the original.
Delays
Famed for its numerous building delays, the museum has been under construction for more than eight years.
Originally scheduled to open in 2011, the museum was reported to be “96.5%” complete in August 2020 and was on track for a 2021 opening.
Designed by Dublin-based architecture firm Heneghan Peng, the museum will span 490,000sq m (5,274,316sq ft) and will house more than 100,000 artefacts, including a 30ft (9m) tall statue of Ramses the Great, weighing 83 tonnes. It has been estimated that it will take “four to six months” to install all of the exhibits.
Once completed it will boast panoramic views of the pyramids of Giza, as well as a conference centre, a cinema, 28 shops and ten restaurants.
The museum will be home to more than 100,000 artefacts, including a 30ft tall statue of Ramses the Great CREDIT: CNNI
Museums and galleries
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