Step into the entrance hall of this new museum, and you’ll be greeted by a towering statue of Ramses II. He was one of the most powerful rulers of ancient Egypt. Next, you’ll climb a grand staircase lined with statues of other pharaohs. Then you’ll move on to rooms filled with colorful coffins, giant wooden boats, and sparkling gemstones. Finally, you’ll come face-to-face with one of the most famous artifacts in the world: the gold mask of King Tutankhamen (too-tahn-KAH-muhn), better known as King Tut.

Welcome to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which opened this past November in Giza, Egypt. It’s the world’s largest museum dedicated to one civilization.

Step into the hall of this new museum. You’ll be greeted by a giant statue of Ramses II. He was one of the most powerful rulers of ancient Egypt. Next, you’ll climb a grand staircase lined with statues of other pharaohs. Then you’ll move on to rooms filled with colorful coffins, giant boats, and sparkling gems. Finally, you’ll come face-to-face with one of the world’s most famous artifacts. It’s the gold mask of King Tutankhamen (too-tahn-KAH-muhn), better known as King Tut.

Welcome to the Grand Egyptian Museum. It opened this past November in Giza, Egypt. It’s the world’s largest museum devoted to one civilization.

Even with so much to see, no exhibit has created as much excitement as the one devoted to Egypt’s legendary Boy King. Tut became pharaoh more than 3,300 years ago, when he was just 8 or 9 years old. His reign was cut short when he died a decade later.

Because ancient Egyptians believed in life after death, they preserved the bodies of their rulers as mummies. Tut was buried with his belongings—including jewelry, weapons, and games—so he could use them in the afterlife.

Tut’s tomb was hidden for centuries. But in 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered it in the Valley of the Kings, a royal burial ground near the Nile River (see map). Carter’s team spent 10 years carefully removing more than 5,500 artifacts.

Today only Tut’s mummy remains in his tomb. Everything else, from his clothes to his chariots, is at the Grand Egyptian Museum. While some of Tut’s treasures had been showcased in traveling exhibits in the past, all the artifacts are now on display together for the first time.

“It gives us a wonderful insight into what a royal tomb should contain,” Ikram explains. “And it tells us about Tut’s life and death.” 

She adds that the museum is so packed with history that every visitor can have a unique experience—whether they’re fascinated by kings or gods or the lives of everyday people.

“That’s what a museum visit should be, a personal journey of discovery,” says Ikram.

One exhibit has created the most excitement: the one devoted to Egypt’s legendary Boy King. Tut became pharaoh more than 3,300 years ago. He was just 8 or 9 years old then. His reign was cut short when he died a decade later.

Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. So they preserved the bodies of their rulers as mummies. Tut was buried with his things—like jewelry, weapons, and games—so he could use them in the afterlife.

Tut’s tomb was hidden for centuries. But in 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered it. It was in the Valley of the Kings. That’s a royal burial ground near the Nile River (see map). Carter’s team spent 10 years carefully removing each item. There were more than 5,500 artifacts.

Today only Tut’s mummy remains in his tomb. Everything else, including his clothes and chariots, is at the Grand Egyptian Museum. Some of Tut’s treasures had been shown in traveling exhibits in the past. But all the artifacts are now on display together for the first time.

“It gives us a wonderful insight into what a royal tomb should contain,” Ikram says. “And it tells us about Tut’s life and death.” 

She adds that every visitor can have a unique experience, whether they’re fascinated by kings or everyday people. That’s because the museum is so packed with history. 

“That’s what a museum visit should be, a personal journey of discovery,” says Ikram.