Almost a century ago, American archaeologists working near the made an incredible discovery: a secret burial chamber littered with gilded treasures. They’d just uncovered the tomb of Queen Hetepheres I, the mother of King Khufu, along with a suite of royal bedroom furniture. The items inside were over 4,600 years old.
Through painstaking restoration work, the queen’s bed, throne, and belongings were carefully restored to their former glory. The Hetepheres collection now sits among the thousands of incredible artefacts at the newly-opened in . The display, which included a baldachin frame that once draped luxurious fabrics, transported me back to a royal life thousands of years ago and made history feel strikingly tangible.
For me, this was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my . Touted as the world’s largest archaeological museum, the GEM has been for almost two decades. While it’s been , the main attractions – believed to be as many as 100,000 archaeological artefacts – have been kept under wraps until recently.
To the delight of history buffs, 12 of the museum’s galleries were finally opened to the public in October 2024. Having been based in for a number of years, I’m among many ancient fans who have eagerly counted down the days to the grand opening. Though still a soft opening (as some areas had yet to be unveiled), I was still excited see what treasures were in store.
But is visiting the Grand Egyptian Museum before it’s fully open worth it? The muse.