Grand Egyptian Museum Partially Opens Near Pyramids

The Grand Egyptian Museum, located near the pyramids of Giza, has partially opened after more than 20 years of construction and numerous delays due to political instability, cost overruns, and the COVID-19 pandemic. This trial opening allows visitors to access select galleries and showcases over 100,000 artifacts, although the famous King Tutankhamun collection remains undisplayed. The museum, which has cost over $1 billion to construct, is set to become the largest archaeological museum in the world. Officials see this as a significant opportunity to recover and display antiquities returned from abroad, enhancing Egypt's tourism sector, a crucial source of foreign currency. The trial runs are essential to identify operational challenges, such as potential overcrowding, before the official inauguration, which remains unscheduled.