Expected to house more than 100,000 artifacts, The Grand Egyptian Museum is well on its way to open in 2021. The museum was designed by Henegahn Peng, an architecture firm from Dublin in 2003. It will feature a triangular wall motif, taking a cue from its neighboring Pyramids of Giza, which will be visible through the large glass windows from inside the building.

In a statement to The National, Major General Atef Moftah, an engineer who was tasked by Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to lead the endeavor in 2016, confirmed the construction of the museum, which will be located on the Giza plateau and span nearly half a million square meters.

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Around 5,000 artifacts from the tomb of Prince Tutankhamun will be situated at the heart of the museum. The artifacts include millenia-old golden treasures from statues, fans, jewelry and objects owned by Prince Tutankhamun, such as boomerangs and walking sticks.

The museum’s construction has been stalled for decades, with initial plans for the project dating back to 1992. The new 2021 schedule was announced after President Al Sisi halted construction activities across Egypt in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Two statues of a Ptolemaic king and queen, built in pink granite arrived in Egypt from the US on 6 August for display at the museum. Authorities are in the process of preserving the artifacts that will adorn the museum, specifically Tutankhamun’s treasures for visitors to relish upon the museum’s opening.

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