The $1 billion Grand Egyptian Museum opens to the public

CAIRO (AP) – The Grand Egyptian Museum opened its doors to the public on Tuesday after an extravagant inaugural ceremony attended by royals and heads of state.

The $1 billion megaproject has been promoted as the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilization, with nearly 50,000 artifacts. For the first time, visitors can marvel at the collection of treasures from the tomb of the famed King Tutankhamun, which was discovered in 1922.

“Most Tutankhamun treasures were in the old Egyptian museum,” Ahmed Ghoneim, the museum’s CEO, told reporters. “However, some were scattered in other museums and others were kept in storage. Bringing all those treasures in one place enriches the museum display experience.”

Visitors flocked to the monarch’s gallery that houses over 5,000 artifacts including jewelry, gilded chariots and his gold death mask.

“It was amazing, especially the mask,” said Nikolas Voulgarakis, a tourist from Greece.

The museum, located near the Pyramids at the edge of Cairo, is expected to boost Egypt’s tourism revenues and help invigorate the country’s troubled economy.

“We expect 7 million visitors a year,” said Ghoneim, adding that a daily cap of 20,000 visitors will be enforced to ensure a smooth experience for all.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi inaugurated the museum over the weekend after nearly two years of a soft debut, where visitors had access to parts of the museum.