GUIDED TOURS SCRIPT

The Grand Egyptian Museum is not only Egypt’s new crown jewel, but it will also be one of the
largest, most modern, and most renowned museums in the entire world.

In 2002, the Egyptian Government announced a worldwide competition for the design of a new
museum complex to house, display and preserve some of the world’s most ancient t reasures
with which Egypt has the privilege of being entrusted. A ceremonial foundation stone was laid
at the site selected for the new project, a site only 2 kilometers away from Egypt’s greatest
monuments, and the only remaining wonder of the ancient world – The Pyramids of Giza.

In 2003, the winner of the architectural design was the Dublin based Irish firm, Heneghan Peng
Architects, who secured the contract to turn their ultra-modern concept into the Grand
Egyptian Museum, on a scale of 491,000 square meters. Construction on the new museum
began in 2005, the setbacks of environmental, financial, and political natures soon beset the
ambitious project and the monumental delays ensued. Following the stabilization of the
government in 2014 and the preservation of that stability ever since, the project soon got back
on track and construction resumed.

When the Grand Museum fully opens it will be the largest archaeological museum complex in
the world and host to more than 100,000 artefacts. For the first time ever, king Tutankhamun’s
entire treasure collection will be on display alongside artefacts from pre-historic times, through
Egypt’s many thousands of years of ancient Egyptian civilization, through the comparatively
more modern ancient Greek and Roman periods of Egyptian history.

The Grand Egyptian Museum is not just an archaeological museum, its doors are open for
scholars, children and anyone hoping to engage in a diversity of experience.
Hanging obelisk of Ramses II: New Kingdom – 19th dynasty

Obelisks were a symbol of rebirth and rejuvenation in ancient Egypt. These commemorative
structures were in the form of a square angled tower tapering into a pyramidion which was
covered with electrum to attract the reviving rays of the sun, thereby allowing the unity with
the universal god “Ra”. The word “obelisk” is Greek for “nail” because the Greek historian,
Herodotus was the first to write about them and name them. Ancient Egyptians called them
“Tekhenu”, which meant “to pierce” as in “to pierce the sky”. Obelisks were erected in pairs at
the entrances of ancient Egyptian temples.

Of all Egypt’s enduring symbols, obelisks have found seats in many countries over the centuries.
From London, to Paris, to Istanbul, to Rome, there is no shortage of Egyptian obelisks scattered
across the world, dominating its largest squares and piazzas.

This obelisk was built by Ramses II and was discovered at the heritage site of San El Hagar, a
northern city in the Eastern Delta that flourished during the Third Intermediate period. Identical
to the obelisk that has been recently moved to Tahrir Square, the obelisk is 19 meters high, and
it weighs approximately 90 tons, carved of one single block of granite which ancient Egyptians
quarried in Aswan. All 4 sides of the obelisk were carved with Hieroglyphs that include religious
dedications and royal commemorations. The obelisk, divided into 3 parts, was moved from San-
El Hagar in 2018. An integrated engineering study was conducted on the body of the obelisk,
the optimal method was chosen for fixing the obelisk and consolidating it, along with locating
the anchors that connected the 3 parts. Today the obelisk dominates the entrance to the Grand
Egyptian Museum, suspended on 4 columns, to become the first hanging obelisk in the world,
revealing for the first time the cartouche of Ramses II engraved on its base.

To the right of the obelisk is the sculpture garden covering an area of 19,000 square meters,
surrounded by a plantation slope.

The majestic façade of the museum rises to 46 meters high, running at a length of 600 meters.
It is made up of 42 triangular structures and 7 alabaster pyramid shapes. The entrance is
decorated with cartouches of Ancient Egyptian kings.
As you step into the Atrium, you notice that the museum is divided into two distinct sections:
The museum building to your left-hand side, which covers an area of 92,000 square meters, and
the conference building with a total land area of 40,000 square meters. Both sections are
connected by the Grand Atrium, 7000 square meters, dominated by the colossal statue of
Ramses II.

If you look above, you see the different angles of the folded roof which is among the distinct
features of the architectural design. It is made of reinforced concrete, spanning up to 40 meters
and appears to float above the structure in perfect alignment with the axis of the Giz a
Pyramids. It consists of cascading sloping panels over an area of 33,000 square meters, each
one is unique, no 2 square meters are identical.

Wind direction inside the building flows from north to south in alignment with the general wind
direction in Egypt. The building also includes water features for local evaporative cooling.

An underground tunnel runs under the museum building, connecting the GEM conservation
center with the galleries to ease the movement of artefacts with the ultimate precautions.

Colossal Statue of Ramses II: New Kingdom – 19th dynasty

Ramses II, commonly known as Ramses the Great, was the third ruler of Egypt’s 19th Dynasty
during the prosperous New Kingdom. He is regarded as one of the greatest, most celebrated,
and most powerful Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. He led several military campaigns asserting
Egypt’s control over her neighbors to the East and to the South. He died at the age of 90 and
was buried in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

During his long reign of 67 years, everything was done on a grand scale. No other Pharoah
constructed so many temples or erected so many colossal statues and obelisks. Ramses the
Great had set his stamp on the face of Egypt.
The statue of Ramses stands in full glory, dominating the Grand Atrium of the museum, it was
carved of granite 3200 ago, depicting the king in a standing position, with his left leg a step
forward. The Pharoah is represented with all symbols of royalty, the royal headdress “nemes”,
topped with the double crown of the north and the south, and a false beard firmly attached t o
his chin by straps that looped around the ears. He wears a short, pleated kilt, with his name
engraved on the belt and on the bracelet that he wears on his right wrist.

discovered in 1820 at the great temple of Ptah in Memphis, it was broken to 6 pieces. In 1955 it
was moved to Bab El Hadid square in Cairo and the square was named after it, “Ramses”. The
statue was restored there and was stabilized by iron bars to stand to height of 11 meters.
Transportation of the statue, 83 tons, was planned in 2002. A replica had been made and was
transported several weeks before the scheduled actual relocation to test the proposed
relocation project, the move took place on August 25, 2006. During its ten-hour transport the
statue was wrapped and covered in rubber foam, carried on 2 flat-back trucks as it travelled in a
vertical position. Transportation cost was 550,000.00 Sterling pounds.

Twice a year, the rays of the rising sun will fall directly on the face of Ramses II, on October 22 nd
and February 22nd, marking the coronation day and birthday of the Pharaoh respectively, in
parallel with the same phenomena occurring in his temple at Abu Simbel.

From here you can see the museum’s 3D cinema which covers an area of 700 square meters,
with a capacity of 500 seats. It is intended to screen live documentaries on Ancient Egypt as
well as a diverse range of topics.

Please check out The GEM culture program at the Information Desk. It consists of activities that
augment the museum experience and that showcase and celebrate contemporary Egyptian life
in a global context. Please check The GEM culture program at the information desk, it includes a
rich calendar of events, including conferences, talks, workshops, performances, and themed
festivals for a diverse audience.

10 statues of S-N-Usret I: Middle Kingdom – 12th dynasty

Senusert I was the second Pharoah of the 12 th Dynasty of Egypt and was one of the most
powerful kings of this dynasty. He ascended to the throne after the murder of his father,
Amenemhat I, in a Harem plot. In the 18th year of his reign, he launched a military campaign
against lower Nubia and conquered the region down to the second cataract, the military
campaign is mentioned in several inscriptions of the king’s reign. Senusert I dispatched several
quarrying expeditions to Sinai and Wadi Hammamat and built numerous shrines and temples
throughout Egypt and Nubia. He rebuilt the important temple of Ra at Heliopolis which was the
center of the sun cult.

Senusert I constructed his pyramid at El Lisht south of Cairo. Ten almost identical statues of the
king were discovered in 1894 in the funerary temple of his complex. The statues were carved of
limestone, they show the king seated on a solid cube throne adorned with his royal regalia, the
royal headdress “nemes”, a cobra on his forehead for protection and a false beard firmly
attached to his chin by straps looped around his ears. The statues were moved from the
Egyptian Museum in Cairo to the Grand Egyptian Museum in 2020.

Straight ahead is the entrance to the Temporary Exhibitions section. It consists of 4 halls with a
total land area of 3,500 square meters.

Above the Temporary Exhibition Halls lies the museum library, intended to house the largest
collection of archaeology and Egyptology books in Egypt. It is built on an area of 1,100 square
meters, with a Rare Books Section that will include a display of rare volumes owned by the
museum.

The Sakkara Canon: New Kingdom – 19th dynasty

The Sakkara Canon contains a list of Egyptian Pharaohs. It was discovered by Auguste Mariette
in 1860, but the list was not published until 1864. It was found in a funerary shrine above the
tomb of the lector priest “Tw-Inry” who lived during the reign of Ramses II. The location of the
tomb is lost, but supposedly south of the step pyramid at Sakkara.

The inscription originally listed 58 kings in two rows of 29 kings each, in reverse chronological
order, starting with Ramses II going backwards to Adjib. It was discovered in 8 parts with a
section missing, which was searched for and never found.

The purpose of the list was to show celebrated ancestors, it was not meant to be a complete
chronological list, this is clear from the exclusion of Hatshepsut, Ahkenaton and the Hyksos
kings.
Cartouche number 39 was recorded by Mariette in 1864 containing the name of Mn-Kaw-Ra,
but this is the only attestation for this. In all subsequent line drawings, the cartouche is drawn
as unreadable, so the reading cannot be trusted, it was likely added by Mariette.

Map of Egypt

Egypt is situated in a prime location in the MENA region, with a total land area of 1,002,000
square kilometers. It is bordered on the north by the Mediterranean coast, 950 kilometers long,
the Red Sea coast to the east, 1,500 kilometers long. The geographical division of Egypt’s
landscape sets the Western Desert as 67% of the whole area of Egypt, the Eastern Desert at
23% and the Sinai Peninsula at 6% of Egypt. Egyptians throughout history settled and built their
civilization on the narrow strip of land on both sides of the Nile.

(More details will be provided once I get access to the map)

The Grand Staircase (Distant view):

The Grand staircase is one of the very important features of the museum. It covers an area of
6,000 square meters at an elevation equivalent to 6 floors.
It includes 64 large artefacts arranged according to 4 main themes: Kingship, royal image, divine
buildings, and the journey to eternity represented with a series of coffins leading to the top of
the stairway which ends with a spectacular panoramic view of the Pyramid s of Giza, the final
resting place of Old Kingdom Pharaohs.

Tut-Ankh-Amun Gallery:
At the top of the staircase to the right-hand side is the Tutankhamun gallery built on an area of
7,500 square meters. The gallery will be open to the public in parallel with the grand opening of
the museum. It houses the full treasure collection of the king, 5398 pieces, some of which will
be on display for the first time. The display theme will revolve around the discovery of the
tomb, the king’s life, funeral, resurrection, and identity.

Permanent Galleries:
At the top of the staircase to your left hand-side are the permanent galleries built on an area of
18,000 square meters. It consists of 12 galleries and 3 themed caves. Artefacts in the
permanent galleries are displayed in chronological order, covering artefacts from prehistoric
times up to the Graeco-Roman period. The display themes include society, ritual, and beliefs, as
well as burial practices throughout Egyptian history.

Children Museum:
It is built on an area of 2,500 square meters and includes various educational techniques and
modules to deliver an Ancient Egyptian experience in an interactive method.
Below the Children Museum is an arts and crafts center which includes 5 classes for hands on
workshops in an initiative to revive ancient Egyptian crafts.

The HoloLens Hall:

Halfway up the stair to the right is the HoloLens Hall built on an area of 650 sq uare meters.
(More details will be provided once I receive the HoloLens content)

Solar Boat Museum:

The solar boat was the barge believed to carry the soul of the king into the realms of eternity.
Two solar boats that belonged to king Khufu were discovered in 1954 in two pits at the foot of
the southern side of the Great Pyramid. One boat was reconstructed by reassembling its 1224
pieced of cedar wood to form a huge boat, 43 meters long and 6 meters wide. The boat was
displayed in a small museum built at the same site where it was discovered.
Transportation of the boat is one of the most important projects carried out by the Grand
Egyptian Museum. It was noted that the Giza Solar boat museum obscures the view of the
southern side of the Great Pyramid, it also lacked distinctive display approaches that are no
longer appropriate for the importance and value of this unique monument. The new Solar Boat
Museum sits separately from the main building of the GEM. It is equipped with the latest
scientific and technological systems in terms of museum display techniques, climate, and
lighting control, to ensure adequate protection for the most ancient organic vessel in the world.
The second solar boat has been undergoing restoration and reconstruction at the GEM in a
Japanese sponsored project. Public reassembly of the boat will continue over a span of 4 years.

The above bridge connects the Museum building with the Conference building which includes
office and coworking spaces as well as the museum’s Education and Learning Center. The GEM,
in collaboration with renowned worldwide universities, will become a beacon in archaeological
studies.

Commercial Area:

Here starts the retail area of the museum over an area of 1600 square meters. It includes 8 fully
equipped fast food restaurants catering to all tastes. As well as a carefully selected variety of
retail stores showcasing Egyptian heritage and design.
Tanis Hall (Small Atrium):
Statue of Ramses II

Tanis is an important archaeological site in the North-Eastern Nile Delta of Egypt, it was located
on the Tanitic branch of the Nile which has long since silted up. It is an ancient city that
flourished during the Third Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt. Although some Tanite
monuments date back to the reign of Ramses II, they were mostly brought from his nearby city
of Pr-Ra-Ms for the purpose of reuse. Tanis became the seat of power of the Pharoahs of the
21st and 22nd Dynasties. It remained inhabited until its abandonment in Roman times.

We found ruins of several temples at Tanis, including a large temple dedicated to Amun, a royal
necropolis which contained the only known intact royal Pharaonic burials, other than the tomb
of Tutankhamun. In 2011, a significant discovery revealed numerous mud-brick walls, streets
and large residencies, amounting to an entire city plan, which inspired archaeologists to call the
city Northern Thebes.

The name of this statue is “Ramses beloved of Ra, Great of Monuments. It was found broken
into separate parts and had been lying on the temple grounds since its discovery in the late 19 th
century. It is made of quartzite, 6.5 meters heigh and weighs 30 tons. It represents Ramses II in
standing position, with his left leg a step forward. He holds scrolls in his hands and wears a
short kilt with a belt decorated with the cartouche of the king. Two of the daughters of Ramses
are depicted on the base of the statue: Mrit-Amun and Bnt-Anat.

Restoration of the statue took place at the GEM conservation Center which was established in
2010. The center played a very important role in restoring the GEM artefacts according to the
internationally recognizable standards in terms of theory and practice.

Just outside the Tanis Hall lies the Tanis Courtyard, a huge recreational and event space that
covers a land area of 58,000 square meters.
Victory column of Mr-N-Ptah: New Kingdom – 19th dynasty

Merenpetah was the fourth Pharoah of the 19 th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, he was the 13th son
of his long-lived father, Ramses II, he only came to power because all his older brothers had
died. Merenpetah was nearing 70 years of age at his accession, he ruled Egypt for nearly 10
years.

Early in Merenpetah’s reign, his troops had to suppress a revolt in Palestine, the action is shown
in battle scenes at Karnak Temple. Merenpetah’s biggest challenge, however, came from the
west. Libyans had penetrated the buffer territory west of the Delta Oasis an d were attacking
Egyptian land. The “Sea People”, wanderers who had been displaced from Asia Minor and the
Aegean lands and were roving the Middle East, had joined and armed the Libyans and with
them were conspiring to attack Memphis and Heliopolis, the great religious and administrative
centers near the Delta. Merenpetah led a victorious 6-hour battle against his enemies, after
which the latter’s chief fled, the Libyans and Sea People lost 9400 men. Merenpetah ordered
the carving of great commemorative texts on account of his victories, among them was this
victory column which was discovered at Merenpetah’s Temple at Matareya archaeological site
in 1970.

The column was 5.6 meters high, carved of red granite and weighs 17 tons. It was engraved
with Hieroglyphic texts commemorating the king’s victories. It was transported in 2008 to the
citadel of Salah El Din for conservation and restoration, it stayed there for 10 years before it
was moved to The Grand Egyptian Museum. It took 8 hours to prepare the column for
transportation. A wooden base padded with layers of foam was made, the pillar was tied with
carefully tensioned rope to safeguard it during transportation. It arrived at the GEM in 2018.
The Royal Regalia

Ancient Egyptian kings had a royal regalia of crowns and scepters and other elements that
offered and represented power and protection. They also set the king apart from everyone else
and conveyed his authority, both secular and religious.
Nemes:
Pieces of striped headcloth worn by the king. It covered the whole crown, behind of the head,
and nape. It had 2 large flaps which hung down behind the ears and in front of both shoulders.
The earliest depiction of the Nemes dates to the First Dynasty.
False Beard:
The false beard was seen as an attribute of several of the gods. Kings wore false beards to
signify their status as a living god. False beards were usually made of stone or precious metals
and were firmly attached to the chin by straps looped around the ears.
The Double Crown:
This crown is a combination of the White crown of Upper Egypt and the Red crown of Lower
Egypt, symbolizing the unification of the north and the south under a single ruler. Ancient
Egyptians wore the double crown to elaborate their control of a united Egypt.
Wsr-Maat-Ra
This is a 3D personification of the throne name of Ramses II, which meant “powerful is the
justice of Ra”.

Statue of Ptolemaic King and Queen: Graeco-Roman period

The 2 statues were recovered from the sunken city of Heraklion, known in Egyptian as “Ta-Hnt”,
an Ancient Egyptian flourishing port city located near the Canopic mouth of the Nile, 32
kilometers northeast of Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea. The legendary beginnings of “Ta-
Hnt” go back to as early as the 12th century B.C., its importance grew particularly during the
waning days of the Pharaohs, the Late Period of Ancient Egypt. It was mentioned by ancient
chronicles and historians, it was said by Herodotus to have been visited by Helen of Troy.
According to Herodotus, a great temple was built at the spot where Heracles first arrived in
Egypt. The story of the visit of Heracles resulted in the Greeks calling the city by the Greek
name Herakelon rather than its original ancient Egyptian name. The city was then hidden away
for thousands of years, submerged deep under sea water.

After searching for years by screening the vast area of the Abu Kir Bay off the coast of Egypt,
French archaeologist Frank Goddio saw a colossal face emerge from the waterway shadows,
Goddio had finally encountered Heraklion, completely submerged 6.5 kilometers off
Alexandria’s coast. Among the underwater ruins were 64 ships, 700 anchors, a treasure trove of
gold coins, statues standing at 5 meters, and most notably the remains of a massive temple to
the god Amun-Gereb, and the tiny sarcophagi for the animals that were brought as offerings to
the god. The sunken artefacts give a glimpse into what was, 2300 years ago, one of the great
port cities in the world. The harbor of Heraklion controlled all the trade into Egypt.

Built around its grand temple, the city was crisscrossed with a network of canals, a kind of
ancient Egyptian Venice, and its islands were home to small sanctuaries and homes. Once a
grand city, today its history is largely obscure, and no one is quite sure how it ended up entirely
under water. It is likely that a crack in the Mediterranean floor south of Spain, caused a huge
tidal wave that engulfed the city. However, it still lies under sea water shroud in its mysteries.

The statues, nearly 5 meters high, made from granite are remarkably preserved, yet due to the
lack of names, we do not know who they belonged to. The royal attire suggests that they
belong to a king and queen going back to Graeco-Roman times. They were among 293 artefacts
displayed in the exhibition “The Sunken Cities: The Enchanting World of Egypt” which started in
2015 and toured Paris, London, Zurich and 4 cities in the USA.

The GEM Official Giftshop:

The journey of discovery does not end here. The GEM giftshop is a continuation to the journey
of discovery. The products advocate the museum’s narrative by adapting concepts to further
enhance knowledge and passion of Ancient Egypt. All the pieces are curator-approved to
ensure integrity through thorough research. There are actual designs represented in the
galleries, such as replicas and photography, as well as contemporary interpretations of the
artefacts. There are also iterations of easily fabricated products, such as notebooks, calendars,
tote bags, and many others.

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