Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)

You could call this a coincidence but the acronym of the Grand Egyptian Museum is an apt title for the GEM, which is truly one! The sprawling museum has the largest indoor space in the world - a whopping five hundred thousand square meters! And needless to say, the museum is full of wonderful gems of antiquity.

But what makes a visit a remarkable experience is the grand vision with which the whole museum has been envisaged from start to finish. As you enter its gates a grand bottomless obelisk ushers you into the pyramid-shaped entrance that is filled with cartouches of ancient Egyptian kings and queens - as if they have all joined hands to give you a warm welcome! Now you have truly entered the museum and are standing stupefied at the Grand Hall because before you is a colossal 82-ton statue of Ramesses that has been raised to its feet in a remarkable act of restoration. The pharaoh stands with grace as well as a steely resolve because drilled into him and also into the ground is an extended backbone made of iron that helps him stand upright.

By his side are the twin statues of a king and queen that were pulled out from the sea after staying drowned for thousands of years in the Ptolemaic city of Heracleion just off the coast of Alexandria. They are positioned strategically pointing the way to the Grand Staircase. This stairway is like a Jacob’s ladder but it does not lead to heaven but somewhere close - an absolutely stunning mesmerising breathtaking view of the pyramids that you can see from the air-conditioned corridor of the museum as opposed to being baked in the desert sun. There are stunning statues of kings and queens on either side of the Grand Staircase stand silent sentinels to this ultimate collection but never quite prepare you for what is ahead n rest assured every step brings us closer to the ultimate destination. In fact, it is not one but three.

Straight ahead is a picture-perfect view of the pyramids a photo click that is worth a billion bucks! To the left, the main collection arranged chronologically and thematically traces the history of Egyptian religion, gods and people for five millennia. Of the thousands of artefacts held here, most people come to see the five thousand that are truly special because they come straight from Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of Kings. This includes the dead boy king’s famous golden mask crafted from solid gold! To see them turn right at the end of the Grand Staircase. You can relive the delight of Howard Carter as he made his breakthrough discovery. When he flashed his lights into the pea-sized hole at the entrance to King Tut’s tomb he saw that all that flittered was gold indeed.

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With this app, we hope to shine some light on the wonderful collection that awaits you at the Grand Egyptian Museum! Do take your headphones with you as the buddy needs your earbuds!