Grand Egyptian Museum celebrates first anniversary with immersive ‘Eternal Sun’ light show

Updated 1 min 47 sec ago

November 2, 2026 14:04

The Grand Egyptian Museum marked its first anniversary of opening on Sunday with the launch of an “Eternal Sun” light experience in its Grand Hall. The 35‑minute show runs daily after official visiting hours in Arabic and English, except on Saturdays and Wednesdays. “Eternal Sun invites you on a 35‑minute immersive journey that evokes wonder and brings you closer to Egypt’s past and present in a way you’ve never experienced before,” the museum states on its official page.

• The 35‑minute immersive show evokes wonder at Egypt’s rich history and present.
• Strong visitor numbers demonstrate a lasting fascination with the nation’s culture, a former official tells Arab News.

On the same day, the museum announced new admission prices, raising them by EGP 20 (about $1) for Egyptian adults and $5 for foreign adults.

GEM CEO Dr. Ahmed Ghoneim reported that the museum recorded between 5.2 million and 5.3 million visits during its inaugural year. Appearing on MBC Masr’s Al‑Hekaya program, he added that the institution hosted 60 official visits from heads of state, monarchs and prime ministers worldwide.

UN Secretary‑General António Guterres expressed particular admiration for the golden mask of King Tutankhamun and a statue of Queen Hatshepsut during his visit last week.

Located near the Giza pyramids, the museum houses more than 57,000 artifacts spread across the Tutankhamun Galleries, Main Galleries, Grand Hall, Grand Staircase and Khufu’s Boat Museum. It offers 40,000 m² of exhibition space, with 7,500 m² devoted to King Tut’s treasures.

A flagship attraction is the 4,600‑year‑old solar boat of Pharaoh Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid. The 43‑meter wooden vessel, discovered in the 1950s, was buried beside the pyramid for the king also known as Cheops.

Former GEM director Dr. Tarek Tawfik told Arab News that visitor flow to the King Tutankhamun galleries remains strong, reflecting an unbroken fascination with Egypt’s heritage. He noted that the complete Tutankhamun collection has been assembled for the first time, drawing enthusiasm from tourists, scholars and Egyptians alike.

More than 5,000 artifacts of the “Golden King” have been gathered from storage, the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir and the Luxor Museum. Modern presentation techniques and a fresh curatorial approach tell Tutankhamun’s story, departing from traditional exhibition styles.

British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb’s treasures on Luxor’s West Bank in 1922. The gallery recreates the objects as Carter’s team would have found them 104 years ago, guiding visitors through the pharaoh’s life and ten‑year reign that began around 1333 BC.

The Main Galleries explore three central themes—beliefs, society and kingship—across ancient Egyptian history, from prehistory through the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms to the Greco‑Roman period.

The museum also features a 32,000 m² restoration centre, the largest in the Middle East, with 16 specialised laboratories. In October, an Egyptian‑Japanese team finished restoring and installing 16 wooden sections from the floor of Khufu’s second solar boat.

Source link