World’s Largest Museum Opens Near Pyramids of Giza

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Cairo, Egypt
• Nov 02, 2025
• 559

The world’s largest archaeological museum, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), finally opened its doors to the public on Saturday, in a grand ceremony attended by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and several world leaders.

The monumental project, which cost over $1 billion and took decades to complete, sits majestically near the Pyramids of Giza and spans nearly 500,000 square metres — roughly the size of 70 football fields.

Tutankhamun’s Tomb: The Crown Jewel

At the heart of the museum lies its most prized collection — the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, the boy king who ruled Egypt from 1332 to 1323 BC.
For the first time, all 5,500 artifacts discovered in his tomb by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 are displayed together under one roof.

Carter’s discovery — buried under layers of rock for nearly 3,000 years — made global headlines a century ago. But it also sparked the infamous legend of the “Pharaoh’s Curse,” after several people connected to the excavation died under mysterious circumstances.

Among them were:

Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition and died months after the tomb was opened;

Archibald Douglas Reid, who X-rayed the mummy and succumbed to illness;

Hugh Evelyn White, who took his own life, claiming to be under a curse.

Modern research, however, has challenged the myth. A 2023 study in the Journal of Archaeological Science found harmful bacteria and fungi inside the tomb, which could have caused respiratory illness in early explorers.

A Monument of History and Innovation

The GEM houses more than 50,000 artifacts, including the colossal 83-ton statue of Ramesses II and the 4,500-year-old Solar Boat of Khufu — believed to have been used by the pharaoh who built the Great Pyramid.

Its 12 galleries chronicle Egypt’s journey from prehistory to the Roman era. The complex also features a children’s museum, education and conference centres, a conservation lab, and a commercial zone.

A Tourism Game-Changer

Officials expect the museum to attract 8 million tourists annually, marking a turning point for Egypt’s tourism industry. The GEM’s futuristic design, pyramid-shaped entrance, and proximity to the Giza Plateau make it a new global landmark.

Security Concerns Shadow Celebration

Despite the fanfare, security concerns linger. Two ancient artifacts, including a 3,000-year-old gold wristband, were recently stolen from a Cairo laboratory. Authorities insist that the GEM is equipped with state-of-the-art security systems to prevent such incidents in the future.

A Century in the Making

First conceived in 1992, the Grand Egyptian Museum began construction in 2005, with partial openings in 2024. Its full launch in 2025 is being hailed as Egypt’s most ambitious cultural project in modern history — a bridge between its ancient past and its global future.