Grand Egyptian Museum, With 12 Galleries Now Open, Recontextualizes Ancient Egyptian History
After over a decade of development, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) has opened its doors—partially. In late October, GEM opened 12 of its main galleries and began welcoming around 4,000 visitors daily. These galleries, in chronological and thematic order, feature a selection of the collection's 15,000 artifacts as the museum fine-tunes its operations ahead of what hopefully will soon be its—no pun intended—grand opening.
Originally announced in 2002, the GEM has long been heralded as a symbol of Egypt's future, as part of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's Egypt Vision 2030, a large portion of which involves a major redevelopment of the Giza plateau, where GEM—and the famous Pyramids of Giza—is located. The challenge for the museum's designers, Dublin-based Heneghan Peng Architects, was to honor ancient Egyptian history, known for its ancient innovations and luxury and long a draw for foreign tourists, while positioning modern Egypt in a similar light.
This balance between old and new starts at the entrance. There, visitors are immediately greeted by a 3,000-year-old statue of Ramses the Great, the legendary ruler of Egypt's Nineteenth Dynasty. Carved from granite, the statue was discovered in fragments and endured several unsuccessful restoration attempts before it was placed in Cairo's Ramses Square. Exposed to pollution and the vibrations of nearby traffic, the statue's preservation was at risk. However, it has been carefully restored and relocated to its new home at the GEM, where it joins other protected pieces.
The massive statue is contrasted by a sleek, expansive atrium that devotes significant real estate to community space and a mix of retail and dining options that encourages visitors to linger. The museum incorporates homegrown brands such as El Kahhal Looms—a family-owned, century-old textile dynasty—and Azza Fahmy, the first woman to train in Egypt's jewelry quarter, Khan El Khalili. Both brands offer a clever nod to how they simultaneously celebrate Egypt's history and present. Last month, the Egyptian government signed a memorandum of understanding with GEM to provide local artisans resources, expertise, and a platform to showcase their work at the museum's gift shop. The atrium has also served as host for several recent high-profile events, including the launch of Cairo Food Week, a welcoming of the UK's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to mark their first performance in the country, and the RiseUp Summit, a leading tech and entrepreneurship conference in the region.
The most remarkable aspect of the museum is how it reflects the core pillars of ancient Egyptian civilization: preservation, legacy, and documentation. In ancient Egypt, there was a uniquely human drive to document theklives, whether to leave "easter eggs" for future generations like us, or out of a deep-seeded desire to ensure they would not be forgotten. The GEM continues this commitment with advanced conservation labs that use cutting-edge technology to safeguard over 100,000 artifacts, ensuring they are preserved for future generations. Temperature control, humidity regulation, and UV protection all play a crucial role in the preservation methods.
The concept of shifting Egyptology back to Egyptians carries a deeper message. While Egyptology originally stemmed from local excavations, its modern framework—shaped by institutional funding and scholarly influence—was largely developed by Western powers, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries. France's invasion of Egypt in the late 18th century, followed by British and German excavations and studies, led to institutions approaching the subject through a Western lens. This developed challenges that Egypt continues to address, including the illicit trade of antiquities and a foreign examination of its cultural identity.
In 2010, GEM launched its own conservation efforts—quickly becoming the largest in the region—ensuring that Egypt actively participates in the protection of its legacy and declaring GEM's intent to share Egyptian history on its terms, with respect, responsibility, and innovation.
This vision is evident in its new galleries, starting with the Prehistoric period of 700,000 BCE. Here, stone tools buried alongside their owners offer glimpses into early Egyptians' views on life and death. Statues of royal figures like Ramses II and monumental sculptures such as the Victory Column of King Merneptah reveal social structures, reflecting a dedication to documenting rulers, achievements, and the desire for Egyptian rulers to solidify their legacies.
Art was central to this documentation. Writing systems, emerging around 3,500 BCE, evolved into hieroglyphic script on papyrus, stone, and coffins. These records reveal beliefs about the afterlife and daily life—fishing, harvesting, and other activities. Statues placed in tombs ensured the deceased retained essential knowledge. Even their design carried symbolism: smiling figures marked prosperous times, while stoic ones denoted rulers of more turbulent eras.
Many of the artifacts are displayed through visual storage, a clever choice used to maximize space while also allowing for a more extensive array of objects to be exhibited. This curation method also focuses on highlighting artifacts' interconnections as key parts of Egypt's cultural narrative rather than as isolated pieces.
GEM stands apart by humanizing these artifacts—a localized perspective rooted in human history, culture, and society. Curation at the museum typically focuses on storytelling and contextualization, bringing audiences into the lives of the various social classes of ancient Egyptian civilization. At many Western museums, such as New York's Metroplitan Museum of Art, similar artifacts are presented as detached objets d'art, emphasizing their aesthetic value.
Seeing a coffin in its rightful context versus a foreign display alters one's understanding, and though repatriation efforts have intensified in recent years, public knowledge of ancient Egypt remains influenced by Western narratives. This divide affects foreigners and Egyptians alike, the latter historically cut off from their heritage, either removed abroad or viewed through an exoticized lens.
Though its highly-anticipated Tutankhamun Galleries have yet to open, the GEM continues its journey to completion following a revolution, a pandemic, and multiple regional crises. In December, it even launched a volunteer program for students and professionals to explore roles in archaeology, education, hospitality, and customer service, further strengthening ties with the community.
Spanning 500,000 square meters—twice the size of the Louvre—the GEM marks a significant shift in how Egypt's history is understood and presented. As the museum continues toward full completion, GEM has shown that its role extends beyond serving as a repository for artifacts. Positioned as both a global cultural hub and a research center for Egyptology, the GEM provides Egypt's history with the platform to reclaim and present its narrative on its own terms and on its own stage.
-- Sent from my Linux system.
