On Sunday, November 2, the Grand Egyptian Museum officially opened with a grand affair. Set by one of the Seven Wonders of the World—the Giza Pyramids, the ceremony included a drone and light show, musical and dance performances, and 79 international dignitaries, including 39 heads of state and government, in attendance.
His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, attended the ceremony on behalf of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Other regional royals in attendance were Queen Rania of Jordan, who attended the ceremony with Princess Salma bint Abdullah of Jordan; Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain, Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa; Crown Prince of Oman and Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said; and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture, Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud.
Bridging the worlds between modern and ancient Egypt, beloved Egyptian stars were also front and centre during the ceremony, dressed in replica ancient Egyptian wear. Composer Hesham Nazih debuted a composition written for the opening night, whereas retired actress Sherihan made an appearance on stage in a custom ELIE SAAB haute couture gown. Other Egyptian stars who made an appearance were actresses Yasmina El-Abd, Salma Abu Deif and Huda El-Mufti.
Behind the scenes, a tight-knit team of artists and creators helped bring the ceremony to life. Among those were Script Writer Ahmed Mourad, Production Designer and Art Director Mohamed Attia, Singer-Songwriter Menna El Kiey, Fashion Designer Nour Azazy, and Costume Designers Mai Galal and Khaled Azam. Together, we saw local and regional artists bring a historic moment in culture to life.
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is unlike any museum in the world. Spanning a whopping 500,000 metres, the museum features 12 halls surrounded by landscaped gardens that are approximately 120,000 square metres. Whereas its exteriors are covered in hieroglyphs with a pyramid-shaped entrance to welcome guests. With a collection of over 100,000 artefacts, it is the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilisation. It covers Egyptian history dating from pre-dynastic times all the way to the Greco-Roman era.
One of the main highlights will be a full display of the ancient pharaoh, King Tutankhamun. Showcasing all his treasures together ever since the tomb’s discovery in 1922, the display includes King Tutankhamun’s gold burial mask, as well as his throne, chariots, and other artefacts. Other standouts include a 16 metre long obelisk of the pharaoh Ramesses II, as well as his own 11 metre high statue, a bust of Alexander the Great, and many more statues of ancient kings and queens.
The initial idea for the Grand Egyptian Museum was proposed back in 1992, with construction officially beginning in 2005. Now, with 20 years in the making, the Grand Egyptian Museum is set to let those travel back in time to ancient Egypt with contemporary Egypt right outside.
