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“An extraordinary moment in history”: inside the long-awaited opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum
The Grand Egyptian Museum has finally made its suitably grand debut – 103 years after the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, 33 years after the plan was first announced, and 23 years after its foundation stone was laid. The $1 billion megaproject is the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilisation, housing over 100,000 artefacts.
The dazzling inauguration ceremony held on Saturday evening was attended by royals, presidents, prime ministers and high-level delegations from dozens of countries around the world, including the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Spain, Greece, Hungary, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Japan.
The outdoor celebration unfolded on a custom-built stage beside the museum’s 110-tonne hanging obelisk, around two kilometres from the Pyramids of Giza. A spectacular laser and fireworks display illuminated the ancient monuments, reflecting the vision to make the museum, known as the GEM, a “fourth pyramid” in its own right.
The show was not just about marking the museum’s opening, but celebrating Egyptian civilisation, promoting Egypt’s cultural treasures and sending a harmonious message to the world. In his address, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi declared: “Peace is the only path to building civilisations, knowledge flourishes only in an atmosphere of security and stability, and culture bears fruit only when nurtured in an environment of coexistence and understanding.”
Above the pyramids, a flyover of ultralight planes carried banners reading: “Welcome to the land of peace”. Two orchestras performed – one at the Grand Egyptian Museum and another at the foot of the Great Sphinx. An original musical score titled Message for Peace by Moon Knight composer Hisham Nazih was performed by instrumentalists and vocalists from around 80 countries, conducted by maestro Nayer Nagui.
Projected on a big screen, dancers in flowing Egyptian-inspired costumes appeared from cities around the world – Tokyo, Paris, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro and New York – symbolising Egypt’s cultural reach. As the GEM and pyramids lit up, so did other historic landmarks around the country, including the Hatshepsut Temple, Luxor Temple, Philae Temple and Abu Simbel in Upper Egypt; and St. George Church, Saladin Citadel and Al Muizz Street in Cairo.
