The main hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum was opened for limited tours last year
Share this @internewscast.com

THE opening of a mega-museum – home to the famous “cursed” coffin – has been postponed again over war tensions.

Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum will be home to more than 100,000 artefacts and the largest collection of Tutankhamun artefacts ever displayed.

The main hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum was opened for limited tours last year
The main hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum was opened for limited tours last year
An aerial picture of The Grand Egyptian Museum showing the Giza pyramids in the background
The museum will delay its official opening following escalated tensions between Iran and Israel
The golden sarcophagus of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun as it lay for restoration at the Grand Egyptian Museum
Tutankhamun’s cursed coffin will be housed in the impressive museum

Although some parts of the museum are open already, King Tut’s galleries were being held off until July 3.

However, in a statement released today, the tourism and antiquities ministries announced that the opening will now be postponed until the end of the year due to the recent conflict between Israel and Iran.

“In light of the current regional development, it has decided to postpone” the opening of the museum, officials said.

They stated, “A new date … will be announced in due course, following coordination with all relevant authorities to ensure the organisation of an event that reflects Egypt’s prominent cultural and tourism status on the international stage.”

The museum covers an impressive 500,000 square feet, making it the biggest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilisation – ancient Egypt.

Visitors will begin their tour of the museum by passing through a magnificent alabaster archway, where they will be welcomed by an awe-inspiring 83-ton statue of Ramses II, dating back 3200 years.

They will then head up the grand staircase, past an impressive display of statues of ancient kings and gods.

From there they will have an impressive view of the pyramids, which are just a mile away.

The museum boasts twelve galleries containing art ranging more than 3000 years.

Visitors will also be able to see the dazzling treasures of Queen Hetepheres, the mum of the builder of the Great Pyramid, including her alabaster sarcophagus, furniture and jewellery, along with King Khufu’s grand cedar wood boat.

Mystery Solved: The Story of ‘The Screaming Woman’ Mummy (1)

Construction of the site began in 2005, but came to a halt during the Arab Spring in 2011.

Work resumed in 2014, and a decade later the museum is finally opening.

The project has cost $1.3 billion, but it is hoped it will boost the Egyptian economy by attracting tourists from across the world.

The ‘cursed’ coffin

The Tutankhamen collection is currently in the old Egyptian museum in downtown Cairo, but will be moved ahead of the official opening.

Tutankhamen’s body will remain in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.

The tomb was discovered by English archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 after seven years of searching.

The discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb is associated with a dark curse.

Following the unearthing of Tutankhamen’s remains, various figures connected with the expedition died in mysterious circumstances.

These included Lord Canarvon, the financial backer of the excavation team, who died from an infected mosquito bite.

Sir Archibald Douglas-Reid, who X-rayed the pharaoh’s remains, was killed by a mystery illness.

Carter himself died in 1939 from Hodgkin’s Disease aged 64.

No royal tombs had been uncovered since King Tut’s until last week when archaeologists discovered King Thutmose II’s burial site.

The architectural marvel is being built for the Egyptian Ministry of Culture to house thousands of pharaonic artefacts from the ancient era
The architectural marvel is being built to house thousands of pharaonic artefacts from the ancient era
Visitors gather in front of an obelisk during a guided tour of the main hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum
Visitors gather in front of an obelisk during a guided tour of the main hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum
The ‘Grand Staircase’ at the Egyptian Museum being introduced to press members before its opening date
The ‘Grand Staircase’ at the Egyptian Museum

The king’s mummified remains had been found two centuries ago but his his tomb was never found.

The entrance to the tomb and its main passage were initially discovered in 2022, but continued excavations found evidence linking it to the Pharaoh. 

Fragments of vases inscribed with the Pharaoh’s name were found, identifying Thutmose II as the ‘deceased king’. 

Sections of a religious text and blue paint and yellow stars that were placed in the tomb of kings were also found. 

Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities,described the discovery as one of the “most significant archaeological finds in recent years”. 

King Thutmose II was the fourth Pharaoh of Egypt‘s 18th Dynasty, and is thought to have reigned from about 1493 BC to 1479 BC. He died at the age of 30. 

King Thutmose II was married to Queen Hatshepsut, who made history as a powerful female pharaoh.

GLIMPSE OF THE PAST

The grand museum has been designed in a way that pays tribute to its historic surroundings.

Shaped like a chamfered triangle, the museum aligns with the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Menkaure – and is built extremely close to the great structures.

The museum’s design was picked through an international architectural competition in 2002 that attracted more than 1,500 entries from around the world.

And winning design was a brainchild of Heneghan Peng Architects in Dublin, Ireland, who are known for their unique, colossal designs.

Incredible plans for the architectural marvel were first revealed in 1992 a huge, empty site close to the Giza pyramids was secured by the then-president of Egypt Hosni Mubarak.

However, construction could only begin in 2012 – and the structural shell was completed in just three years, with the museum expected to open by 2018.

But several political and economic setbacks kept the plans on hold.

The Grand Egyptian Museum is now expected to open by the end of this year.

Who was King Tutankhamen?

Here’s everything you need to know about King Tut…

  • King Tutankhamen is the most famous of Egypt’s ancient pharaohs
  • He ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago from 1332 to 1323 BC
  • Tut is known as the “boy king” as he was just 10 years old when he took the thrown
  • When he became the king he married his half-sister Ankhesenpaaten. They had two daughters together but both were stillborn.
  • Tut died aged just 19 under mysterious circumstances
  • Some believe that King Tut was assassinated but most believe that his death was an accident
  • The pharaoh is also famous for the supposed curse that haunts his tomb
  • After the tomb’s discovery in 1922, archaeologists, and even their family members, died from horrible illnesses or in strange accidents – and some say the deaths weren’t a coincidence
People gather around a depiction of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s death mask made of 7260 cups of coffee, in front of the newly-built Grand Egyptian Museum
People gather around a depiction of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s death mask
An incredible exhibition space of more than 4,000 square metres will display hundreds of ancient pharaonic  artefacts
An incredible exhibition space of more than 4,000 square metres will display hundreds of ancient pharaonic artefacts
An ancient monument inside The Grand Egyptian Museum
An ancient monument inside The Grand Egyptian Museum
Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Scott Bessent scoffs at Musk's new America Party

Scott Bessent Criticizes Musk’s Newly Launched America Party

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took a jab at tech magnate Elon Musk…
Claim $150 bonus or $1K first bet safety net for Wimbledon

Unlock a $150 Bonus or Secure Your First Bet with a $1K Safety Net for Wimbledon

Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission…
Two boys in Camp La Junta shirts stand outside.

Miracle Escape: Two Brothers Swim to Safety from Rising Floodwaters in Texas Camp Cabin

TWO brave young brothers have told of their gutsy escape from the…
Netanyahu and Trump to meet in DC as Gaza’s fate without Hamas is debated

Netanyahu and Trump’s DC Meeting to Discuss Gaza’s Future in a Post-Hamas Context

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are scheduled to…
Chicago shooting: 16-year-old Meeyah Smith killed in Avalon Park worked with 'Englewood First Responders,' friends say; man hurt

16-Year-Old Meeyah Smith, Englewood First Responders Member, Fatally Shot in Chicago’s Avalon Park; Man Injured

CHICAGO (WLS) — A 16-year-old girl who was killed in shooting Friday…
The Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday

The Dalai Lama Marks His 90th Birthday Celebration

Living in exile since fleeing Chinese rule in 1959, he remains a…
Lolita, a killer whale, performing at the Miami Seaquarium.

What Led to Lolita’s Death? The World’s Loneliest Whale Dies Weeks After Millionaire Promised to Aid Orca’s Release After 50 Years

BELOVED orca Lolita, who was known for her mind-blowing tricks and decades…
Photo of Yessica Arrua, accused of stealing from Palm Beach Equine Clinic.

Employee mistakenly paid $400,000, believed to be a bonus on her $60k salary, spends it on lavish shopping spree

A HORSE clinic receptionist is accused of grand theft after being accidentally…
Sharon Osbourne disinvites greedy band from Ozzy's Black Sabbath farewell concert

Sharon Osbourne Disinvites Band from Ozzy’s Black Sabbath Farewell Concert Due to Greed

Sharon Osbourne said she disinvited a greedy band from her husband Ozzy…
Juan Soto among All-Star Game snubs as Mets send two more to Midsummer Classic

Juan Soto Overlooked for All-Star Game While Mets Add Two More Players to Roster

The Mets will have three representatives at the All-Star Game. Juan Soto…
North Korean avoids land mines to cross DMZ into South Korea as Seoul softens stance on Pyongyang

North Korean Defector Dodges Land Mines to Enter South Korea Amid Warming Relations

A North Korean man walked across one of the most dangerous borders…
Couple in swimwear posing on a boat.

Gulf Coast Stapletons Influencer Stands by Husband After He Pleads Guilty to 20 Charges Related to Child Abuse Images

AN INFLUENCER has defended her husband online after he was sentenced to…