Grand Egyptian Museum to open in 2020

Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani announced on Thursday that 94.5 percent of the construction of the Grand Egyptian Museum has been completed and the museum is set to open by 2020.

Anani said that the museum "is one of the ministry's largest projects," said a statement of the cabinet on its facebook page.

Constructed on approximately 500,000 square meters, the mega museum is located nearby the Giza Pyramids. It is expected to be one of the largest museums in the world presenting a heritage of ancient civilization.

Anani said "approximately 49,603 artifacts were transferred to the museum from all the archaeological sites and museums."

He added that the museum is expected to house around 100,000 pieces from various periods of Egypt's rich and long history.

"The most important pieces that the museum will include is the statue of King Ramses II in the lobby and statues of King Thutmose III, and Amenhotep III in the main exhibition halls," he added.

Some 5,000 pieces of King Tutankhamun, discovered in 1922, will be the impressive exhibition of the museum, he added.

The minister said that it will house antiquities from prehistoric times to the Greek era.

He pointed out that the museum will also include a children museum, an educational center, a handicraft center, educational classes, a conference hall, a cinema, bazaars, shops for traditional crafts, and a museum dedicated to the sun boats, and a field for a hanging obelisk.

The minister indicated that 87 huge pieces will be displayed on 6,000 square meters, overlooking the Pyramids of Giza.

He added the museum includes 12 exhibition halls, constructed on 18,000 square meters, only to show the treasures of ancient Egyptian civilization.