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CAIRO: The Grand Egyptian Museum opened its doors to the public on Tuesday and attracted around 18,000 visitors, underscoring widespread enthusiasm to explore Egypt’s newest cultural and archaeological landmark.

Fittingly, GEM opened on a historic date, marking 103 years since the legendary discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb on Nov. 4, 1922.

The largest archaeological museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization, GEM is located around 2 km from the Giza Pyramids and covers a total of 490,000 sq. meters.

Despite the large number of visitors on Tuesday, movement between the 12 exhibition galleries remained smooth and organized. Interactive screens and 3D displays provide engaging ways to explore information, while additional resources such as photographs, informational panels, and virtual reality rooms offer diverse visual and educational content.

Also on Tuesday, the museum announced the launch of a new audio guide service, enabling guests to navigate the exhibits housing over 57,000 artifacts with relative ease.

The exhibition space dedicated to Tutankhamun has caused a stir, with international deadlines celebrating the first-ever full showcase of the famed pharaoh’s belongings.

Arab News toured the gallery on Tuesday, along with exhibitions dedicated to parts of a now-underwater city found off the coast of Alexandria and to Khufu’s solar boats, grand vessels discovered in 1954 that may have been intended to carry the pharaoh’s soul into the afterlife.

The Tutankhamun gallery is home to more than 5,000 artifacts showcased together for the first time, just as Egyptologist Howard Carter would have discovered them 103 years ago.

The gallery’s innovative design immerses visitors in the life of Tutankhamun, who ruled circa 1333 – 1323 B.C., taking museum goers on a journey that brings each stage of his story to life.

“Our philosophy is form follows content. The narrative defines the space. In the Tutankhamun Gallery, the objects themselves tell the story of the young king, his life, his death, and his journey into the afterlife,” German interior design expert Shirin Frangoul-Brückner, managing director of Atelier Bruckner, who participated in the interior design of Tutankhamun’s gallery, told Arab News.

Tutankhamun’s iconic golden mask saw visitors gather in awe, while seldom-seen artifacts like the huge coffin of the Golden King are also on display. The mummies of his two daughters, born prematurely, are also housed in the gallery.

Another fascinating draw are the solar boats of King Khufu, who reigned during the 26th century B.C. The story of their discovery began in 1951, when then-Chief Inspector of Antiquities at Giza Mohamed Zaki Nour commissioned Antiquities Service architect Kamal Al-Mallakh to tidy up the south side of the Great Pyramid. In May 1954, upon removing the original enclosure wall of the pyramid complex, two sealed pits were uncovered.

The transportation of King Khufu’s boats to the GEM complex took approximately 72 hours and began on August 5, 2021. The gallery’s four floors provide a fresh approach to typical museum displays, with the first three levels offering a complete tour around the boat for an engaging visitor experience.