By: Yomna Walid&nbsp;
As anticipation builds ahead of the official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) on 1 November 2025, Egyptologist Dr. Bassam El-Shammaa describes the landmark as &ldquo;Egypt&rsquo;s greatest cultural achievement in modern history.&rdquo;
An international historian, lecturer, and long-standing member of the Egyptian Historical and Geographical Society, Dr. El-Shammaa has spent more than four decades studying museums across the globe. Yet, he says, no other project embodies Egypt&rsquo;s legacy and resilience quite like the GEM.
Speaking exclusively to NileFM, he reflected on the museum&rsquo;s remarkable journey, from an idea born by chance to a cultural symbol of national pride.
A Dream Born of Coincidence
&ldquo;The idea actually started by coincidence,&rdquo; Dr. El-Shammaa recalls. &ldquo;In the early 1990s, then Minister of Culture Farouk Hosny was asked in Europe about Egypt&rsquo;s museums. Wanting to highlight Egypt&rsquo;s ambition, he replied, &lsquo;We are building the largest museum in the world.&rsquo; The man he was speaking to responded, &lsquo;If that&rsquo;s true, I&rsquo;ll help you get the support you need.&rsquo; That was the moment the dream began.&rdquo;
The casual remark would spark one of Egypt&rsquo;s most ambitious cultural endeavors, a project more than three decades in the making.
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The Creation of The Impossible
Construction began in 2002, marking the start of what Dr. El-Shammaa calls &ldquo;the path of challenges.&rdquo; Years of political and economic turbulence followed, including revolutions, financial crises, and even a global pandemic, yet the vision for the museum remained intact.
&ldquo;This is what I call the creation of the impossible,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It came through effort, sacrifice, and determination not to surrender.&rdquo;
He recalls visiting the site in its earliest stages, when the first concrete foundations were being poured. &ldquo;Right beside me, the first stones of history were being set,&rdquo; he remembers.
Among the earliest completed sections was &lsquo;The Restoration Center,&rsquo; housing specialized laboratories for textiles, metals, wood, and gold. &ldquo;Although I&rsquo;m not a restorer, I was honored to contribute hieroglyphic consultations for some inscriptions,&rdquo; he adds.
A Monument of Innovation
At the museum&rsquo;s entrance stands the world&rsquo;s only suspended obelisk, belonging to King Ramses II. Hovering above the entrance plaza, it allows visitors to view the pharaoh&rsquo;s name and inscriptions from below.
&ldquo;Raising the obelisk in the air is a purely Egyptian idea, designed and executed by Egyptians,&rdquo; Dr. El-Shammaa explains. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a proud symbol of innovation and national genius.&rdquo;
The museum&rsquo;s architecture, he notes, is &ldquo;a pyramid within a pyramid,&rdquo; a contemporary interpretation of Egypt&rsquo;s most enduring symbol. From the sunlit courtyard, visitors pass into a vast, hieroglyph-engraved hall that fuses modern design with ancient inspiration.
Tutankhamun Reunited
For the first time since Howard Carter&rsquo;s discovery in 1922, all 5,000 artifacts from Tutankhamun&rsquo;s tomb will be displayed together.
&ldquo;As someone who has spent more than 40 years studying Egyptology, written over 50 books, and taught in both Arabic and English, I still feel awe,&rdquo; Dr. El-Shammaa says. &ldquo;Many of these pieces have never been seen before.&rdquo;
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A Living Classroom
Beyond its galleries, the GEM is designed as a hub for education and research. From the colossal 83-ton statue of Ramses II in the Grand Hall to the unfinished sculpture of King Djoser, every display invites inquiry.
Twelve exhibition halls showcase animal mummies, ancient furniture, jewelry, and murals, enhanced by interactive digital displays.
One gallery uses projection mapping to recreate Queen Hatshepsut&rsquo;s expedition to the Land of Punt; another brings to life the painted tombs of Beni Hassan in vivid colour. &ldquo;You sit in a white room, and suddenly the walls come alive,&rdquo; Dr El-Shammaa explains. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an extraordinary use of technology to bring history closer to the visitor.&rdquo;
Redefining Egypt&rsquo;s Timeline
Among the museum&rsquo;s most remarkable exhibits is a collection of prehistoric artefacts unearthed in Cairo&rsquo;s Abbassia district, dating back 700,000 years.
&ldquo;This completely changes how we define Egyptian civilization,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not a 7,000-year-old civilization; we are a 700,000-year-old one.&rdquo;
A Cultural and Economic Revival
Five times larger than the British Museum and twice the size of the Louvre, the GEM will eventually house over 100,000 artifacts, with 58,000 already prepared for display.
Set amid landscaped gardens of papyrus and lotus, the museum also features restaurants, shops, and a Children&rsquo;s Museum, alongside accessibility features including lifts, escalators, and digital guidance.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just a museum,&rdquo; Dr. El-Shammaa says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a cultural ecosystem; intelligent, interactive, and inspiring.&rdquo;
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An Experience Worth a Day
He urges visitors to dedicate an entire day to exploring the museum. &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t a place you visit for a couple of hours; it&rsquo;s a full-day experience,&rdquo; he advises. &ldquo;Having visited museums worldwide for 40 years, I can say this one demands time, and rewards it.&rdquo;
Preserving Truth, Erasing Distortion
For Dr El-Shammaa, the museum&rsquo;s importance extends beyond preservation. &ldquo;It adds new chapters to our history&mdash;and corrects distorted ones,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;For too long, false narratives have attempted to rewrite Egypt&rsquo;s story. The Grand Egyptian Museum stands as a guardian of truth.&rdquo;
A Message of Pride
As he reflects, Dr El-Shammaa&rsquo;s pride is unmistakable. &ldquo;Ancient Egyptians invented, created, and contributed to humanity for more than 700,000 years,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;This museum finally tells that truth.&rdquo;
He leaves readers with a final reflection:
&ldquo;I wish everyone an enlightening and inspiring visit. Learn from the civilization of these remarkable people who never stop overcoming challenges and continue to inspire the world.&rdquo;

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