Egypt is making history in recent weeks. On 1 November 2025, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) opened its doors to the world in Giza. It is one of the largest cultural projects of the 21st century. With an estimated construction cost of around one billion US dollars, a planning and construction phase lasting over two decades, and a collection of more than 100,000 objects from ancient Egyptian civilisation, the result is a museum that sets new standards in architecture and museum design and is therefore attracting considerable global attention.
The museum is located just a few kilometres from the Pyramids of Giza and, covering around 50 hectares of land and approximately 81,000 m² of interior space, is the most extensive museum building dedicated to a single civilisation to date.
One of the most impressive pieces is the monumental statue of Ramses II, which stands over eleven metres tall and weighs around 83 tonnes, welcoming visitors in the entrance hall. The museum also presents selected masterpieces from various eras of the Pharaonic period, complemented by outstanding objects from the Late Period and the Greco-Roman period.
The official opening marks the beginning of a new era for all culture enthusiasts – whether they come from the fields of research, Egyptology, art history or collecting: the GEM combines decades of collections, modern exhibition concepts and spectacular presentations. This makes it a central point of contact for anyone interested in the history and art of ancient Egypt – a milestone for today's cultural world and a strong signal for international exchange around the legacy of one of the oldest civilisations in human history.
On the very first day that the museum opened to the public, official sources reported around 18,000 visitors. In the first week, an average of around 19,000 people visited the museum every day. The enormous demand even led to ticket sales and distribution being temporarily suspended on some days because capacity had been exhausted.
A particular highlight of the new museum is the presentation of Tutankhamun's artefacts in a unique collection. Many of the more than 5,000 finds had been scattered among various museums, depots and storage rooms since 1922 and had never before been displayed together in context.
The exhibition presents the grave goods not as individual artefacts, but in their original context. This provides an opportunity to better understand their symbolic meaning and their place in the burial ritual.
When Howard Carter opened the burial chamber in November 1922, one of the most influential archaeological expeditions of the modern era began – an undertaking characterised by months of preparatory work, meticulous documentation of the finds and a previously unknown level of care.
‘I see wonderful things,’ Carter is said to have exclaimed when the light first fell on the gilded shrines.
The longer version recorded in Carter's diary is said to have read:
‘At first I could see nothing, for the hot air streaming from the chamber made the candle flame flicker. But when my eyes had become accustomed to the light, I saw wonderful things inside – strange animals, statues and gold... everywhere the glint of gold.’ — Howard Carter, 26 November 1922
Weighing around eleven kilograms, Tutankhamun's mask is made of high-carat gold and decorated with lapis lazuli, turquoise and coloured glass inlays; it was intended to make the deceased king appear as a divine being in the afterlife.
The innermost coffin, also made entirely of solid gold and embedded in several nested coffins, testifies to the extraordinary material and ritual effort that was intended to secure royal dignity beyond death.
Other grave goods include the gilded throne, ceremonial armour and the so-called ‘magic beds’, which symbolise protection and rebirth in the afterlife.
There are also six chariots, whose elaborate design exemplifies the technology and power of the late 18th Dynasty.
Together, these objects convey an image of royal identity that goes far beyond mere golden splendour and at the same time offers insights into the short life of the young pharaoh, who died at the age of only about 18 to 19.
With the opening of this museum, Egypt is creating an opportunity to retell its history – with pride, scientific depth and a conscious sense of cultural identity. An identity that – conveyed by the objects themselves – touches younger generations in Egypt and history enthusiasts worldwide in particular. For the public, a space is created in which familiar narratives can be questioned and existing perspectives broadened. The cultural artefacts presented in the museum – from monumental statues to the finest everyday objects – bear traces of knowledge that has yet to be fully interpreted.
The fact that fundamental questions – such as how the pyramids were actually built or the exact function of individual ritual objects – remain unanswered even after more than three millennia holds a special appeal.
As aptly stated in the official museum trailer, many of the collection's pieces carry ‘codes’ that still need to be deciphered. The interplay of preservation, presentation and scientific reflection creates a field of resonance that appeals to both the general public and experts alike.
Taking into account cultural property protection regulations, collectors have the opportunity to purchase verified artefacts from ancient Egyptian culture. These are not royal grave goods, but everyday objects, amulets, beads, terracotta items and figurative representations – things that were once part of daily life and religious beliefs.
For people interested in archaeology, art history or the broader context of human history, these pieces offer direct and authentic access.
They allow collectors to build their own collection or expand an existing one with objects that bring the world of ancient Egypt to life in a special way.
With the modern large museum and the growing global fascination with Egypt's past, we are experiencing a moment that sheds contemporary light on the history of this advanced civilisation.
It is a reminder of how much we know about this civilisation – and how much still remains unknown.
And amid this resurgent interest, everyone can become part of this journey – by studying, collecting and passing on a culture that has inspired people for thousands of years.
If you are looking for an object that allows you to experience this fascination beyond the museum space, you will find a selection of verified originals in our shop – each with documented provenance and cultural-historical classification.
Some of the images in this newsletter were visualised using generative AI. These are illustrative representations, not photographs of real objects or places.