Egypt Is About To Open The Doors On World’s Largest Archeological Museum
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) has been in the works for 20 years, and it’s now about ready to finally open the doors to the largest archeological museum complex in the world.
The museum was first proposed when the Egyptian government called for a contest to see who could design an impressive structure worthy enough of housing centuries worth of treasures. Authorities officially handed over the project to Dublin-based Heneghan Peng Architects in 2003.
Once completed, the building will cover over 5.2 million square feet of land and be stationed outside Cairo on the west bank of the Nile River—just over a mile away from the Pyramids of Giza.
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Its long-awaited opening this year has been pushed back after political protests, and environmental setbacks have caused the project to be delayed.
Within the museum, it’s estimated five million guests per year will find more than 100,000 antiquities that date back from prehistoric times to Greek and Roman periods. Though, perhaps the crowning jewel of the entire collection is the whole catalog of relics from King Tutankhamun’s tomb, which amounts to an estimated 5,000 objects.
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Ever since the tomb was discovered in 1922, the treasures held within have not been seen by the public, making this an incredibly rare and precious experience for Egyptians and everyone who makes the journey down to GEM.
On top of all this, the museum is not just a place to marvel at the wonders of the ancient world. It is also a commune of culture and art as it will host an exhibition space, library, education center, and children’s museum as well.
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[via Robb Report and Egypt Independent, cover image via Grand Egyptian Museum]
