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Egypt is home to the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramids of Giza. For centuries, many have been drawn to the rich culture, history, and mystery that surrounds the Ancient Egyptian civilization.

And next year, if all goes according to plan, the country will open what is considered to be the world's largest archeological museum, The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).

The Grand Egyptian Museum / Source: @grandegyptianmuseums (IG)

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is set to be one of the newest tourist attractions in Egypt. It is located in the Giza plateau in Greater Cairo and is just two kilometers away from the Great Pyramids.

The construction of the 5.2 million-square-foot ultra-modern museum complex reportedly amounts to more than $1 billion. Aside from the museum building itself, there will also be an entrance courtyard, a conference center, a piazza, two ticketing and security offices, five gardens, two restaurants, two parks, a café, and a multi-storey carpark building.

Aerial view of the Grand Egyptian Museum under construction in 2019 / Source: @grandegyptianmuseums (IG)

The façade of the museum building will have glass walls that will showcase the breathtaking panoramas of the Giza plateau and the Great Pyramids.

Museum building façade under construction / Source: @grandegyptianmuseums (IG)

Plus, it will have a large atrium inside the main entrance, where enormous statues will be displayed such as the statue of Ramses II.

Statue of Ramses II / Source: @grandegyptianmuseums (IG)

It will be home to more thean 100,000 artifacts, with about 3,500 belonging to the famous King Tutankhamen, including his gold treasures, restored military chariot, a pair of his sandals and his iconic death mask.

King Tutankhamen's death mask / Source: @Roland Unger (Wikipedia)

One of the main attractions at the GEM will be the first exhibition of King Tutankhamen's full tomb collection, which consists of 5,000 items.

Some Egyptian officials consider GEM as “Egypt's gift to the world, while their minister for antiquities and tourism, Khaled al-Anany, calls it the “Fourth Pyramid.”

The ultimate goal for GEM is for it to become one of the top must-see destinations in Egypt, which serves as a portal to the past, and at the same time, a bridge that connects modern and ancient Egypt.

GEM was originally set to open in 2020, as announced by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening date was pushed back to 2021.

So, while waiting for its opening, you can get a sneak peek of the Grand Egyptian Museum in the video below.

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