Sunday November 2, 2025
Cairo (HOL) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on
Saturday attended the grand opening of Egypt’s new Grand Egyptian Museum, the
world’s largest archaeological complex dedicated to a single civilization.
The ceremony, held at the foot of the Giza Plateau, was
inaugurated by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and attended by
delegations from 79 countries, including 39 led by kings, princes, and heads of
state and government.
The launch featured a musical performance in one of the
museum’s courtyards, with the iconic pyramids serving as a dramatic backdrop.
During his visit, President Mohamud is expected to highlight
the historic and cultural ties between the peoples of Somalia and Egypt,
emphasizing the importance of strengthening bilateral relations.
The vision for the Grand Egyptian Museum dates back to the
1990s, when then–Culture Minister Farouk Hosni proposed creating an open museum
complex connecting the pyramids, the Sphinx, and surrounding temples. Former
President Hosni Mubarak laid the foundation stone in 2002, and site preparation
began in 2005, though construction stalled for several years.
Work resumed in 2014 under President Sisi, who expanded the
project into what is now the largest museum dedicated to a single civilization
in human history. Between 2017 and 2023, Egypt completed construction, digital
infrastructure, exhibition design, and service facilities, leading to trial
operations in October 2024.
Located just two kilometers from the Giza Pyramids, the
490,000-square-meter museum offers visitors panoramic views through a
five-story glass façade aligned with the height of the Great Pyramid. The
complex also houses more than 100,000 artifacts, including the complete
collection of King Tutankhamun’s treasures.
The project, estimated to have cost around $1 billion, was
financed through two Japanese loans totaling $800 million, along with
contributions from the Egyptian government, donations, and international partnerships.