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Grand Egyptian Museum opens in Cairo

Grand Egyptian Museum - Level 4

A new museum has opened in Cairo, Egypt. The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) held an opening ceremony on Saturday. Many dignitaries attended it. Egypt's president said GEM will "become an international cultural and scientific hub" and help Egypt's tourism industry. Authorities hailed the $1.2 billion museum as "Egypt's gift to the world". A tour guide hopes it will "usher in a new golden age of Egyptology". GEM offers panoramic views of the Pyramids.

GEM is the world's largest archaeological site dedicated to an ancient civilisation. It has over 50,000 exhibits. A giant 3,200-year-old, 11-metre-tall statue of the Ramesses the Great is in the entrance. GEM also houses the whole Tutankhamun collection. This was unearthed in 1922 in Luxor. Officials hope GEM will mean the return of Egyptian antiquities held in other countries, especially the Rosetta Stone, which is in the British Museum.

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Grand Egyptian Museum - Level 5

A stunning museum has opened in Egypt's capital, Cairo. The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) held an inauguration ceremony on Saturday. A host of dignitaries attended it. Egypt's president said GEM "is set to become an international cultural and scientific hub, contributing to enhancing tourism…in Egypt". Authorities hailed the $1.2 billion museum as "Egypt's gift to the world". A local tour guide hopes it will "usher in a new golden age of Egyptology". The location of GEM will attract visitors. It is in Giza and offers panoramic vistas of the Sphinx and the Pyramids.

The museum is the world's largest archaeological site dedicated to an ancient civilisation. It has over 50,000 exhibits. These have been relocated from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and from across Egypt. A giant 3,200-year-old, 11-metre-tall statue of the pharaoh Ramesses the Great dominates the entrance. GEM also houses the whole Tutankhamun collection. This was unearthed in 1922 in the southern city of Luxor. Officials hope GEM will encourage the return of Egyptian antiquities held in other countries, especially the Rosetta Stone, which is currently in the British Museum.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Grand Egyptian Museum - Level 6

A stunning new museum has opened in Egypt's capital city, Cairo. The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) held an inauguration ceremony on Saturday attended by a host of dignitaries including kings and heads of state. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said GEM "is set to become an international cultural and scientific hub, contributing to enhancing tourism promotion in Egypt". Authorities hailed the museum, which cost more than $1.2 billion to build, as "Egypt's gift to the world". A local tour guide hopes it will "usher in a 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 the Sphinx and the Pyramids.

The museum has been billed as the world's largest archaeological site dedicated to an ancient civilisation. It houses over 50,000 exhibits that have been relocated from the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo and from sites across Egypt. Dominating the entrance is a towering 3,200-year-old, 11-metre-tall granite statue of Ramesses the Great, one of Egypt's most celebrated pharaohs. GEM also houses the entire Tutankhamun collection in one place for the first time since 1922, when it was unearthed in the southern city of Luxor. Officials hope GEM will encourage the return of Egyptian antiquities held in other countries, especially the Rosetta Stone, which is currently on display at the British Museum.

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson