Egypt’s billion-dollar museum sets the bar for India’s ‘world’s largest museum’ vision

As India readies itself to be home to the world’s largest museum in the coming years, the recent dedication of the billion dollar Grand Egyptian Museum holds valuable lessons in meticulous planning, content curation, best practices, museum governance, exhibit design, sustainable operations, and foresight in collaborative infrastructural development vital to the success of an institution of this scale, scope and significance to humanity.

From an initial estimate of USD 500 million, the project ballooned to twice the estimates – both in terms of implementation timeline and projected costs — with funds generated from a mix of government allocation, loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency and donors from around the world.

Recognising the limitations of their famous National Museum and its cramped premise coupled with increasing popularity, the Ministry of Antiquities announced the intent to establish the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) 33 years ago. While the foundation was laid in 2002 with Groundbreaking in 2006, it suffered multiple hiccups impacting decision making from the political turmoil of the Arab Spring to Covid pandemic. Located on a 50,000 sq m site flanking the Giza Plateau near the Pyramids, it is an eternal unmatched edifice dedicated to a single civilisation dating back 7000 years!

Muhammad Ali Pasha, Viceroy of Egypt issued a decree in 1835 to prevent illegal export of artefacts resulting in the creation of first Egyptian museum for antiquities in Cairo. However, in 1854, most of the objects were gifted to Austrian Archduke Maximilian, now on display at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. In 1895, nearly 130 years ago, the Egyptian government announced a competition to design

the new National Museum, with a winning prize of 1000 Egyptian pounds. Design for a neo-classical style by the French architect Marcel Dourgnon was chosen from 87 proposals.

Fast forward to the 2002 Grand Egyptian Museum international architectural competition, that saw over 1557 entries from 82 countries. The geometric genius of a relatively unknown name in architecture-Heneghan-Peng duo based out of Ireland, won the project of a lifetime.

A chamfered triangular wedge anchors the museum site 1.2 km northwest of the pyramids with its north and south walls aligned directly with the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Menkaure. A plaza paraded with date palms heralds the massive translucent alabaster façade sectioned with sharp marble and glass triangles etched with cartouches and ovals surrounding Egyptian hieroglyphs bearing Pharaonic legacy through the millennia. From RA to Ptah-RA, the light never set on al-Misr (semitic name for Egypt) with ‘Light’ guiding the visual vocabulary of the museum's wedge shape with a grid that points directly to the pyramids of Giza, creating a powerful metaphoric connection. The design uses folded roofs, extensive glazing, and skylights to modulate natural light allowing for strategic illumination of artifacts while avoiding harsh direct sun, creating a consistent organic intentionally designed ambient hue.

The making of this incredible museum has many magic moments that emulate the spirit of making of the pyramids deploying human ingenuity and perseverance. The movement of the 3200 year-old 33-ft-tall, 83 ton colossal statue of Ramses II on a 128 wheel flat-bed truck was a ten hour historic journey to behold through the streets of Cairo. Among the most prominent and largest exhibition spaces is the 75,000 sq ft Tutankhamun Gallery, featuring more than 5,000 artefacts unearthed from the tomb of the ‘golden’ boy king who ascended to the throne at about nine years old and ruled during the Eighteenth Dynasty nearly 3,400 years ago. A giant expansive staircase aligned with the pyramids display massive monolithic statues of kings and queens is central to the 5.4 million sq ft  museum experience with over 100,000 artefacts on display.

A tunnelled 320,000 sq ft conservation centre was opened in 2010 ahead of the museum’s completion to allow for seamless conservation, restoration and display prep for collections from a mix of papyrus, metals, leather, stone, wood, pottery, glass, fabric and composite elements. The Grand Egyptian Museum has about 484,000 sq.ft. of exhibit galleries, making it the sixth largest museum in the world by display area with the Louvre in Paris topping the list with 727,350 sq ft. The opening of the museum has also opened the calls for cultural repatriation of the myriad egyptology collections held across 39 prominent museums and over 1000 smaller institutions around the world — many with claims and counter-claims to their provenance.

The museum has set the bar high for creative conservation and the curation of KA- the spirit of its collections that would be witnessed by over an estimated 8 million tourists each year from around the world. The collective resource pooling of some of the best museum professionals from around the world bears testimony to the word ‘Grand’ that is now synonymous with this unique institution that is truly a

gift to humanity. The presence of many heads of state, ambassadors, cultural attaches, scholars, egyptologists and philanthropists from around the world at its November 1, 2025 gala opening, endorses its eternal significance to world heritage.

As India embarks on its own immortalisation of Yuge Yugeen Bharat — the world’s largest museum initiative — enveloping the adaptive use of the North and South Blocks in Lutyen’s New Delhi, there is a historic opportunity to re-define and re-imagine the notion of a museum that resonates with its own unique values and rises above the curatorial constructs of the West. In addition to creating an ecosystem of connectivity and education outreach with satellite links across the diverse socio-cultural sub-continent, attention to detail, context and conservation are investments that will need sustained stewardship and support both during and after its manifestation.

There is an incredible menu of technology driven possibilities that can augment the visitor experience into a time-travel unlike any other with interlinked web of AI-driven curation that can offer insights to both the physical and virtual realms from an indigenous perspective, unlike the world has ever seen. Unlocking this potential is the curator’s key to the proverbial Egyptian KA — the essence created at birth, designed to survive afterlife.

Dr George Jacob FRCGS is a world renowned Indo-Canadian museologist, Commonwealth Fellow and founding president of award-winning museums.