President Milanović Attends Opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović, accompanied by his spouse Sanja Musić Milanović, attended the opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Cairo, Egypt, last night. At the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the ceremony was attended by 40 statesmen and high-ranking officials from around the world, including kings, presidents, and prime ministers.

Construction of the Grand Egyptian Museum began in 2002 with the laying of the foundation stone. The museum was built according to the award-winning design by Irish architect Róisín Heneghan and her husband Shi-Fu Peng. GEM was constructed in stages over more than two decades. The museum spans over 500,000 square meters and features 12 galleries showcasing more than 24,000 artefacts.

The official opening also unveiled a dedicated gallery for objects from the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. For the first time since their discovery, all 5,398 objects found by Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 are displayed across more than 7,000 square meters. Another section of the museum is devoted to Pharaoh Khufu’s enormous solar barque, discovered in 1954 and relocated from the museum near Khufu’s Pyramid to the GEM.

The opening ceremony featured the premiere of a symphony by Egyptian composer Hesham Nezih. Composed specifically for the GEM’s inauguration, the symphony includes a vocal section in the ancient Egyptian language. Croatian flautist Marta Somođi Hofman, of the Croatian National Theatre Orchestra in Zagreb, performed as part of the orchestra.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Ana Marija Katić / Grand Egyptian Museum/GEM