After more than two decades in the making, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is finally set to open in full on 3 July 2025. Delayed by political upheavals, revolutions, and financial hurdles, the museum has been gradually unveiling its treasures through a soft launch, allowing visitors into 11 of its 12 galleries. However, the museum's most anticipated exhibits are still to come.

Located just outside Cairo, adjacent to the Giza Plateau, this expansive institution covers over 90,000 square meters and offers an extraordinary journey through 7,000 years of Egyptian history. From the Grand Hall to the dramatic Grand Staircase and panoramic views of the pyramids, it's poised to be one of the most significant museum openings of the decade.

As excitement builds, The Cultivist is looking ahead. Here are five things we can’t wait to see when Egypt’s newest museum properly opens its doors this summer:

1. The View from the Top

Begin your visit in the Grand Hall, home to monumental statues, including a 36-foot-tall granite figure of Pharaoh Ramesses II, weighing over 80 tonnes. Ascend the escalator past the Grand Staircase, where sculptures of gods, pharaohs, and stone sarcophagi line the way. At the top, pause to take in the panoramic views of the Pyramids of Giza through the museum's vast glass façade.

2. Tutankhamun’s Golden Mask

Arguably the most famous artefact in Egyptian archaeology, the gold funerary mask of Pharaoh Tutankhamun will finally move to its new home at the GEM for the official inauguration. Weighing approximately 11 kg and inlaid with semi-precious stones like lapis lazuli and obsidian, the mask symbolizes the pharaoh's divine transformation in the afterlife. It will be displayed alongside all 5,600 burial objects from his tomb—reunited for the first time since their discovery over a century ago.

3. Queen Hetepheres I’s Baldachin Bed

Dating back nearly 5,000 years, this gilded bed belonged to Queen Hetepheres I, mother of Pharaoh Khufu. Discovered in 1925 in a hidden shaft near the Great Pyramid, the bed's intricate design and craftsmanship highlight the luxury afforded to royalty of that era. It's one of the oldest examples of royal furniture ever found, offering a rare glimpse into private life within the Old Kingdom court.

4. King Khufu’s Solar Boat

Measuring 43.4 meters long and made from Lebanon cedar, this ancient vessel was discovered in 1954 and sealed in a pit beside the Great Pyramid. Believed to be a 'solar barque'—a ritual vessel for the pharaoh to journey with the sun god Ra in the afterlife—the boat was painstakingly reconstructed from over 1,200 disassembled pieces. It now resides in a purpose-built space at the GEM, where visitors can view it from multiple levels.

5. The Digital Tomb of Khnumhotep II

Not everything on view is ancient. One of the GEM's standout experiences is a high-tech recreation of the tomb chapel of Khnumhotep II, a provincial governor from the Middle Kingdom. His original tomb lies deep in the cliffs of Beni Hassan, far off the usual tourist route, but here it's brought vividly to life. Animated wall paintings depict scenes of daily life, offering a dynamic look at everyday life (and afterlife beliefs) in 19th-century BCE Egypt.