Egyptian Museum set to open

Cairo’s long awaited Grand Egyptian Museum is finally expected to open in 2020! Originally set to launch in 2012, the highly anticipated museum seems to be worth the wait. The 5.2 million square-foot museum is filled with 100,000 artifacts, 20,000 of which have never before been on display.

The star attraction is an impressive 5,000 piece collection of relics from the tomb of King Tutankhamun, including his intricate ceremonial funeral beds, jewelry, shoes, and even his royal loincloth. The antiquities will paint a picture of how the young king lived from the way to dressed to the food he ate. It will be the first time the collection of King Tut’s artifacts will be displayed in its entirety. Previously only about one third of the collection was displayed in Cairo’s current Egyptian Museum, which will remain open but will cater to students and scholars rather than tourists.

Beyond the priceless relics that the museum will house, the $1billion project is said to offer ten restaurants, 28 shops, a theater, and a conference center as well. Some of the galleries are over 65 feet tall and will house enormous objects such as a 40 foot tall, 83 ton statue of Ramses II. It will be the largest archaeological museum in the world and is expected to host 5 million visitors a year.

Planning on visiting Cairo before the official opening date? You don’t have to miss out! Private tours are already in operation and you can enjoy one yourself if you’re willing to part with $250. Check out our !