stunning new museum has opened in Egypt's capital city, Cairo. Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) held inauguration ceremony on Saturday attended by host of dignitaries including kings and heads of state. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said GEM "is set to become international cultural and scientific hub, contributing to enhancing tourism promotion in Egypt". Authorities hailed museum, which cost more than $1.2 billion to build, as "Egypt's gift to world". local tour guide hopes it will "usher in new golden age of Egyptology". The location of GEM is also likely to attract visitors as it is situated in Giza and offers panoramic vistas of Sphinx and the Pyramids.
museum has been billed as world's largest archaeological site dedicated to ancient civilisation. It houses over 50,000 exhibits that have been relocated from Egyptian Museum in central Cairo and from sites across Egypt. Dominating the entrance is towering 3,200-year-old, 11-metre-tall granite statue of Ramesses the Great, one of Egypt's most celebrated pharaohs. GEM also houses entire Tutankhamun collection in one place for first time since 1922, when it was unearthed in southern city of Luxor. Officials hope GEM will encourage return of Egyptian antiquities held in other countries, especially Rosetta Stone, which is currently on display at the British Museum.
