The Grand Egyptian Museum – GEM

Overview

GEM is one of the most prominent, most renowned, and most modern museums in the whole world. In 2002, the ceremonial cornerstone was laid without choosing any construction firms. The contract for designing the Grand Egyptian Museum was awarded to the Irish architectural firm Heneghan Peng in 2003 after an extensive international competition. The project’s design phase involved a team of 300 people from 13 companies in 6 different countries, according to the Egyptian government.

The building’s plan form resembles a chamfered triangle. It is located next to a highway interchange, two kilometers (1.2 miles) northwest of the pyramids. The Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Menkaure are precisely aligned with the north and south walls of the structure. The front of the museum features a vast plaza with a façade composed of translucent alabaster stone and is surrounded by date palms. There is a sizable atrium inside the main entrance where the enormous statues will be on display.

The Grand Egyptian Museum – GEM in the night-Egypt Tours Group

The Green Museum

The Grand Egyptian Museum project obtained the international certificate EDGE Advance for green buildings, accredited by the International Finance Corporation, one of the institutions of the World Bank Group, as the first green museum in Africa and the Middle East. The museum evaluation included energy conservation, the use of clean energy, the installation of solar panels, and natural lighting and ventilation systems.

The GEM has acquired certifications in energy, health, occupational safety, environment, and quality and won the award for the best project in green construction. It also obtained the gold certificate for green construction and sustainability according to the Egyptian Green Pyramid System from the National Center for Housing and Building Research.

The Grand Egyptian Museum’s opening

The Grand Egyptian Museum-Egypt Tours Group

Location & the exterior shape

The Grand Egyptian Museum GEM is situated on the Giza Plateau, adjacent to the renowned Pyramids of Giza. It is easily reachable by car, taxi, or public transport. The museum is also in close proximity to several other significant historical sites, such as the Sphinx, the Valley Temple, and the Solar Boat Museum. The building is triangular in plan with chamfered edges. It is located 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) northwest of the pyramids, near a motorway interchange.

The north and south walls of the building align directly with the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Menkaure. The front of the museum features a spacious plaza adorned with date palms and a facade made of translucent alabaster stone. Upon entering the main entrance, visitors will find a large atrium where large statues will be displayed.

The Grand Egyptian Museum – GEM-Egypt Tours Group

The centerpiece

The main attraction of the museum’s collection is the treasure trove of items found in King Tutankhamun’s tomb. This new museum on the Giza Pyramid plateau is now home to tens of thousands of other rare and unique archaeological discoveries. It will have pride of place in the new museum. Occupying a 120-acre (50-hectare) plot of land, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is the most significant archaeological museum in the world. The building covers 90,000 sq m,  17,000 more than the Louvre

The Grand Egyptian Museum – GEM inside view-Egypt Tours Group

Exhibits

The exhibition will cover about one-third of the museum grounds, displaying c.18,000 artifacts (c.5000 objects in the Tutankhamun galleries and c.13,000 objects in the other galleries) from the museum’s total collections of c.50,000 objects. The first exhibition of the complete tomb collection of King Tutankhamun will be the main highlight. The collection comprises around 5,000 items and will be moved from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Additional artifacts will come from storage and museums in Luxor, Minya, Sohag, Assiut, Beni Suef, Fayoum, the Delta, and Alexandria.