Since the late 19th-century, Egypt has continued to offer up astounding archaeological treasures, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The discovery of yet another pharaoh’s tomb, that of King Thutmose II, was announced just last month. Much of the ancient wonders that have so far been unearthed have necessarily remained in storage or languished in outdated museums, that is until Egypt announced plans for a colossal, encyclopedic monument to Egyptology in 2002. Over two decades later, the aptly titled Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is finally opening to the public in stages, with the final launch scheduled for July 3.
The largest archaeology museum in the world, and the largest institution dedicated to just one civilization, the vast, sprawling $1 billion complex laid out across some 120 acres was built to fit over 50,000 artifacts spanning 3,000 years, from the prehistoric era of 7,000 BCE through to the rise of the Roman Empire. It is expected to provide a major boost to Egypt’s tourism industry, according to Bloomberg.
The topic at hand may be the ancient world, but the Grand Egyptian Museum is a thoroughly 21st century museum. As such, it boasts an impressive range of interactive digital displays, allowing for a more dynamic approach to historical storytelling. Among the many opportunities for virtual time travel are “Pyramid Builders,” an animation depicting a typical day for construction workers in Giza, and “Multicultural Egypt,” which plants the viewer amid a bustling Graeco-Roman marketplace. Another tech education tool offers a timeline for how the pyramids were built over a period of roughly 500 years, evolving from simple mud-brick mastabas to elaborate stone structures.
The museum’s suite of galleries are principally organized so as to take visitors on a chronological journey. However, each is also divided into three key themes: society, kingship and beliefs. Here is our pick of some of the standout artifacts on view.
Royal Treasures
When we think of Egypt, we think first of the mighty pharaohs: kings and queens that ruled over many successive Dynastic periods. This association is partly due to the world’s ongoing fascination with the great trove of priceless artifacts that was discovered by Howard Carter in the tomb of King Tut in 1922. The young royal’s legend far surpasses the comparatively modest immediate impact of his mere decade-long reign, before he died at the age of 19.
All 5,600 of Tutankhamun’s burial objects are going on view at GEM but have been held back from public view until the official inauguration this summer. These include a glimmering gold mask of the King, his golden throne decorated with a tender scene of him and his wife Queen Ankhesenamun, his childhood toys, a painted chest, embroidered gloves, a series of six chariots, and a ceremonial shield. His coffin was also recently restored at the museum’s new state-of-the-art conservation center in preparation for public display.
Though King Tut’s riches could easily fill a museum on their own, they are far from the royal treasures on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum. Alive over 1,000 years before the teen royal was Queen Hetepheres I, whose tomb was filled with gilded items that are nearly 5,000 years old, including her throne and her majestic baldachin bed frame, where she likely once retreated when seeking a few moments of privacy.
Her son King Khufu’s 4,600 year old boat, one of the best-preserved vessels from antiquity is also a highlight of the collection. Experts have even noted that the wooden solar barque could be used today.
For visitors wishing they could walk straight into a real Egyptian tomb, untouched by the passing of time, an animated recreation of the wall decorations that filled chief Khnumhotep II’s final resting place should offer some semblance of the experience. The real thing is located in the remote cemetery of Beni Hasan, so the digital recreation is perfect for tourists on a time constraint.
Ancient Belief Systems
Many objects on show relate to the rich spiritual and religious worlds of ancient Egypt, from its pantheon of gods and goddesses to its temples and rituals. The most immediately impressive is a suite of sculptural pieces lining the grand staircase, before visitors even access the galleries. As well as many commemorating pharaohs – who held divine status –, these include stelae, obelisks, columns, and sarcophagi.
Among an alabaster monument to King Seti I and a curious statue of the Roman emperor Caracalla in the guise of an Egyptian pharaoh, the most staggering figure is that of Rameses II, a 83-ton, 3,200-year-old standing colossus that guards the museum atrium. It is encircled by shallow pools.
Visitors will also see examples of naos, or miniature temples that contained shrines with figurines of ancient deities. These include the granite naos of Sensuret I and the sandstone naos of Rameses II, which includes image of the gods Atum, Amun, and Khepri on the rear wall. In the same section, there are statues of several mythological figures, including Osiris and Ptah.
At the top of the grand staircase is a viewing platform that has been carefully position to offer spectacular, panoramic views of the Pyramids of Giza. These vast religious structures are perhaps the most emblematic and awe-inspiring of all ancient Egyptian feats.
In the galleries, visitors will dive into funerary rites in much greater detail, from the construction of tombs to the various objects that accompanied humans into the afterlife. These include shabti, groups of figurines intended as servants for the deceased, and canopic jars, which were used to store organs during the mummification process so this too could be transported into the next unearthly realm.
Of course, it would not be a collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts without mummies. Those on view at the Grand Egyptian Museum include a 4,000 year old preserved crocodile, the gold-plated remains of a young girl, and cloth shrouds that once covered the dead.
Everyday Life
Of course, it was not only pharaohs who populated ancient Egypt. Though more humble members of the public did not have great monuments built in their name, archaeologists have still found plenty of evidence of their existence. These objects give us a rare insight into daily life for those communities who found themselves settled around the Nile in ancient times, which the museum has split into various groups, from hunter-gatherers and eventually agricultural laborers to more learned scribes, priests, and government officials.
Household objects include clay pots and tools for hunting or farming but also reveal that life was not merely a matter of survival for ancient Egyptians. Some kept glass vessels and implements that they used for storing and applying make-up. Elsewhere, we get a hint at how people came together for relaxation and leisure thanks to a surviving example of the board game Senet, which saw players use Chess-like pawns on their journey into the afterlife.
In other cases, we get some insight into everyday citizens via visual representations. One group of some forty marching soldier figurines found in the tomb of local governor Mesehti shows how the men carried lances and shields, had tidy haircuts covering the ears, and wore nothing but a short skirt for ease of movement. Another piece is the so-called statue of Metri as a scribe, a much larger depiction of Metri, who oversaw the scribes during the 5th Dynasty, sitting in the traditional cross-legged pose of scribes with a roll of papyrus spread out over his lap and a pen in his right hand.
Finally, a particularly intriguing section of the galleries contains a collection of surviving papyrus, pieces of ancient paper that contain the everyday communications between friends and family.
