November 1, 2025, 8:19 p.mNovember 1, 2025, 8:19 p.m
The Great Egyptian Museum near the Pyramids of Giza was officially opened with a ceremony. Heads of state and government and international celebrities gathered at the museum, where the opening was celebrated with fireworks and a music and light show. The Sphinx and the pyramids were also illuminated, and dancers and actors showed a choreography in costumes from the pharaonic period.
The Great Egyptian Museum near the Pyramids of Giza.Image: keystone
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said at the opening that the museum was home to the “huge treasures of Egypt’s ancient civilization.” In a short speech he said: “I invite you to make this museum a platform for dialogue, a haven of knowledge and a meeting place for humanity.”
At the celebration, Al-Sisi welcomed, among others, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who traveled to Egypt as part of a multi-day trip to Africa. According to the hosts, high-ranking delegations from around 80 countries took part, around 40 of them led by the respective heads of state.
According to the operators, the museum has the world’s largest collection dedicated to Egyptian antiquity, with more than 100,000 artifacts. With the opening, the entire grave treasure of the child king Tutankhamun can now be seen, as well as the oldest intact ship from antiquity. The construction, which Japan financed primarily with loans, cost around 1.2 billion US dollars. The museum will be open to visitors from November 4th. However, parts have been available to view for more than a year.
The government hopes for five million visitors annually
The government hopes for five million visitors a year. That would be around a third of the 15.7 million visitors who visited the Arab country on the Nile last year. Most of the tourists came from Germany and Russia. This year, Egypt is expecting 18 million visitors who, in addition to museums and archaeological sites along the Nile, often visit the Red Sea for a beach holiday.
Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathi said the government would continue to fight for the return of artifacts from other countries. This is also about the bust of Queen Nefertiti, which is on display in the New Museum in Berlin. Egypt’s government has been calling for its return for years and is convinced that the work of art came to Germany illegally after excavations. The German side, however, emphasizes that the transfer took place legally. (sda/dpa)