Explore the Grand Egyptian Museum: A brand new residence for 7,000 years of historical past and Tutankhamuns treasures

It is obvious. All of Egypt is worked up in regards to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).

You can see it on the roads of a bustling Cairo metropolis with posters asserting its arrival. At the Cairo Airport too, one can discover enormous billboards asserting the opening that occurred on November 1, urging vacationers to go to their newest attraction. In-flight promotional materials have a prepared script too.

And why not? With over 50,000 artefacts from throughout 7,000 years, the GEM showcases quite a lot of objects. One such is the grand obelisk of Ramses II or Ramses the Great, one of many key rulers of Egypt for greater than 60 years, reigning between 1279-1213 BC. This obelisk was found within the historic metropolis of Tanis. It is elevated on a granite base, making it in all probability the one suspended obelisk on the planet, revealing the cartouche of the king. The GEM additionally options statues from kings and queens Senusret 1 and Ptolemaic, other than different vital rulers of the area.

But the spotlight is certain to be the extraordinary treasure and assortment of Tutankhamun, who, regardless of ruling Egypt for a brief 10-year time period left a long-lasting affect because of the plethora of riches in his nearly-intact tomb found in 1922. This unique gallery, unveiled underneath one roof for the primary time, contains over 6,000 artefacts and intimate possessions that give individuals a glimpse of the Egypt of yore.

Also thrilling, particularly for individuals with a eager curiosity in historical past and tradition, is the King Khufu’s Boats Museum, which features a totally reconstructed boat. Apart from displaying this implies of transport, this part additionally explains how the River Nile, an integral a part of historic and trendy Egypt, performed a pivotal function in enhancing commerce and tradition within the area.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly remarked in a press convention, that the GEM is a “present from Egypt to the entire world from a rustic whose historical past goes again greater than 7,000 years.”

At its official inauguration, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said, “This magnificent edifice is not only a spot; it’s a dwelling testomony to the genius of the Egyptian individuals who constructed the pyramids and inscribed their story on the partitions”. He added, “Egypt has impressed all of the peoples of the earth, and from the banks of the Nile, civilization and human progress have shone forth.”

Located strategically close to the world-famous Pyramids of Giza, which might be seen from the Grand Staircase contained in the place, the GEM additionally has Augmented Reality Experiences, auditoria and a youngsters’s museum.

The GEM is the newest addition to the wealthy assortment current in museums throughout Egypt. Cairo already boasts the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), the place royal mummies might be seen, and the Museum of Islamic Art.

(The author was in Egypt on the invitation of Egypt Tourism)