Exploring the Grand Egyptian Museum – here’s what to expect

Egyptologist Ashraf Moussa, who’s visiting the Grand Egyptian Museum with two fellow guides the exact same day as me, states the leisure of the Khnumhotep tomb is an emphasize. “We used to take a trip for 4 hours to go to Beni Hasan and people have to go up the mountain to see this attractive tomb,” he says.

The galleries are arranged both in sequential order and by style. Galleries one to 3 cover the Primitive Duration, Predynastic Period, Early Dynastic Period, Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Duration in between around 700,000 BCE to 2,034 BCE. Galleries four to six cover the Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Duration between 2,034 BCE and 1,550 BCE. Galleries 7 to nine cover the New Kingdom between 1,550 BCE and 1,069 BCE. The last galleries, 10 to 12, cover the Graeco-Roman Period, Late Duration and Third Intermediate Duration in between 1,069 BCE and 394 ADVERTISEMENT. Each period covers the 3 styles of Culture, Kingship and Ideas.

There are additionally modern-day multimedia shows interspersed in between the galleries. As an example, a timeline shows how the Pyramids of Giza were developed over a duration of about 500 years, developing from simple mud-brick mastabas to elaborate rock structures. An additional display recreates the Burial place Chapel of Khnumhotep II, a principal throughout the Middle Kingdom rules of Amenemhat II and Senwosret II, that is known for his highly decorated burial place in Beni Hasan about 300 kilometres south of Cairo.

Site visitors can choose to publication admission tickets or 90-minute assisted excursions, which are used in English and Arabic every hour, seven times a day from 9am to 3pm. 90 minutes doesn’t really feel lengthy to cover thousands of years of old history, so anticipate to speed up via the museum and simply understand the highlights. After a short summary of the items in the Grand Hall, the overview takes my group up the escalator to whizz past the Grand Staircase and touch on its four motifs, prior to quiting at the top to appreciate a sight of the Pyramids of Giza, prior to turning into the primary galleries.

Background is about storytelling and the museum’s managers looked for to tell the stories of the ancient Egyptians with these galleries. The initial gallery, for instance, themed around “culture” features the searching and farming tools made use of by communities in the prehistoric duration, as well as wall surface paints revealing scenes of everyday life.

A check out to the Grand Egyptian Museum needs at the very least three to four hours, claims Salib, that is additionally taking care of supervisor of Anubis Travel. Traveling firms have actually needed to readjust their itineraries to enable enough time, since a lot of the museum is open. “You require to include another evening in Cairo,” he states.

The Queen Hetepheres collection is one more favourite of Moussa. Found in a surprise interment chamber near the Great Pyramid of her child King Khufu, the collection includes her bed, chair, sarcophagus, canopic jars and a box of bracelets.

Other tourist guide Maged Salib cites the large statue of Queen Hatshepsut supplying pots to the state god Amun-Re as one of the most beautiful in the collection. She came to be minister for her nephew King Thutmose III, and was later crowned as joint leader.

After more than a years of hold-ups and much expectancy, the Grand Egyptian Museum has actually opened its 12 primary galleries. The Grand Egyptian Museum has revealed itself in stages over the last couple of years, beginning with private events in November 2022 before opening its main room and retail location in February 2023. The 11-metre-high, 83-tonne, 3,200-year-old Ramses II sculpture was the first item to be relocated to the Grand Egyptian Museum site back in 2006, and it is the very first artefact to welcome visitors upon entering. The Kid’s Gallery likewise quietly opened, before finally, with just a week’s notification, Egyptian Prime Priest Mostafa Madbouly revealed the major galleries would certainly open for a “trial run” from 16 October.

Background is concerning narration and the gallery’s managers sought to tell the tales of the ancient Egyptians via these galleries.

Billed as the world’s largest archaeological gallery dedicated to a solitary civilisation, the Grand Egyptian Gallery holds more than 50,000 artefacts. These consist of the full Tutankhamun collection of regarding 5,300 items, an additional 30,000 in short-term revolving events and the 15,000 artefacts that are now on screen in the recently opened up primary galleries.

The Grand Egyptian Museum has actually revealed itself in stages over the last couple of years, starting with private events in November 2022 prior to opening its major room and retail location in February 2023. The Children’s Gallery also silently opened up, before finally, with just a week’s notice, Egyptian Prime Preacher Mostafa Madbouly revealed the main galleries would certainly open up for a “trial run” from 16 October.

After greater than a years of delays and much expectancy, the Grand Egyptian Museum has opened its 12 major galleries. The caveat is that its valued King Tutankhamun collection and two King Khufu solar boats will certainly remain under covers until the yet-to-be-announced authorities opening. Nevertheless, there is plenty to see, with 15,000 artefacts extending as much back as 700,000 BCE up until the fourth century advertisement.

Several visitors to the gallery in its very first week just occur to be in Egypt and are happily surprised to find the gallery partly open. Diane Mitsche, an Austrian living in Abu Dhabi, has actually taken a trip with her partner and two young kids during their midterm break to “show the youngsters the pyramids and a little of history.”