Near one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza - Egypt is officially opening what it intends as a cultural highlight of the modern age.
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), described as the world's largest archaeological museum, is packed with some 100,000 artefacts covering some seven millennia of the country's history from pre-dynastic times to the Greek and Roman eras.
Prominent Egyptologists argue that its establishment strengthens their demand for key Egyptian antiquities held in other countries to be returned – including the famed Rosetta Stone displayed at the British Museum.
A main draw of the GEM will be the entire contents of the intact tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun, displayed together for the first time since it was found by British Egyptologist Howard Carter. They include Tutankhamun's spectacular gold mask, throne and chariots.
Costing some $1.2 billion (£910 million; 1.1 billion euros), the vast museum complex is expected to attract up to 8 million visitors a year, providing a considerable boost to Egyptian tourism that has struggled due to regional crises.
Dr Tarek Tawfik, President of the International Association of Egyptologists, expressed the intent to display the complete tomb, ensuring everything remains in Egypt for this full experience.
This ambitious project faced numerous challenges, from financial crises to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the opening marks a pivotal moment for Egyptology and cultural tourism.
Egyptians see this museum as evidence of their capability to curate and preserve their own rich heritage, setting a new narrative while calling for the return of significant artefacts looted during colonial times.
