Opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo
German companies were among those involved in the museum’s redesign.
Cairo (dpa) – The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Cairo was officially opened on Saturday with a ceremonial event that was attended by numerous international guests. Among them was Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, welcomed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Steinmeier is visiting Cairo as part of a multi-day tour of Africa. High-ranking representatives from around 80 countries attended the opening. Steinmeier previously announced that he would be holding talks with President al-Sisi and other heads of state about the political situation in the broader Middle East region.
German firms specialising in architecture and lighting design were also involved in developing the exhibition concept for the GEM. The Stuttgart-based architectural firm Atelier Brückner designed the treasure chamber of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, which also features his famous golden death mask. Tutankhamun’s burial treasure is being shown in its entirety for the first time.
With the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, Egypt’s most important ancient artefacts have found a new home. The monumental complex in Giza on the outskirts of Cairo houses more than 100,000 items from the Pharaonic, Greek and Roman eras across twelve exhibition halls – making it the largest archaeological museum in the world, according to its operators.
