Egypt’s Grand Egyptian Museum, originally set to open in 2012, has had its opening pushed back again, this time to 2020. Officials had hoped for at least a partial opening later this year.
The huge museum, located near the Pyramids of Giza, was previously expected to open partially in June, with full opening by 1922, the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s Tomb. Egypt’s hope is that the museum will eventually fuel a regrowth of Egypt’s tourism industry, which has had major difficulties because of political events and terrorist attacks.
Once completed, the world’s largest archaeological museum will include 490,00 square feet of exhibits, 28 shops, ten restaurants, a conference center and a cinema. Over 50,000 objects, half the collection, will be on display, including 20,000 that have never been shown before.
What makes this delay even more of a disappointment for visitors to Cairo is the fact that the famous old Egyptian Museum on Cairo’s Tahrir Square has been losing items being shifted to the new building for some time now in anticipation of the opening.