Egypt鈥檚 gift to the world 鈥� and itself
A spectacular new museum near the pyramids showcases priceless artifacts and an ancient civilization. It's also enabling Egyptians to reclaim and connect with their own history and culture of grand ideas.
Egyptian sisters wear pharaonic dresses as they pose under the statue of Pharaoh Ramses II at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, Nov. 5.
AP
Within sight of the towering pyramids of Giza, the just-opened Grand Egyptian Museum draws a line across thousands of years of history to a modern nation redefining its own political and cultural identity. While today鈥檚 Egypt plays a key role in world affairs, its various problems, from authoritarian rule to economic woes, have left its citizens looking for direction.
So this month鈥檚 glittering opening of the museum and its exhibits 鈥� built and curated over two decades 鈥� has provided a welcome dash of color, glamour, and national pride.
鈥淚t is a gift from Egypt to the world and we are proud to finally share it,鈥� Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathi said. (Ancient Egypt鈥檚 other gifts to the world include inventions relating to mathematics and metallurgy, the solar calendar, the sickle, and papyrus.)
鈥淔or Egypt, this moment goes beyond tourism or heritage,鈥� wrote Dubai, United Arab Emirates-based journalist Megan Tomos. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about soft cultural power, and the reclamation of narrative through design, culture, and storytelling.鈥�
Construction on the sprawling complex began in 2005. Its imposing entrance is dominated by a statue of King Ramses II, rising more than 30 feet tall and weighing 83 tons. The star exhibit pulls together for the first time the entire contents of the tomb of King Tutankhamen. But the range of themes and presentations is expansive, going beyond a spotlight on kings and queens to depict 鈥渙rdinary鈥� aspects of ancient society, including the role of women in the household.
鈥淭o make Egyptology truly accessible beyond academia, you have to meet the people where they are,鈥� an expert, Monica Hanna, told The New Arab. 鈥淧eople often underestimate the widespread thirst for knowledge across all levels of society. The challenge lies in presenting complex ideas in a way that feels approachable and engaging.鈥�
Already, since the soft opening of several galleries late last year, thousands of Egyptians and others have visited the museum.
But beyond monumental architecture and tourism dollars, the crux of hopes and ambitions for the museum lies in the quest for modern Egypt to tell the stories of its distant past. For centuries, Egyptology was considered a Western tradition. Thousands of artifacts were removed 鈥� legally and otherwise 鈥� and are still housed in museums in Europe and the United States.
The Grand Egyptian Museum, according to museum consultant Dina Touta, now places Egypt 鈥渁t the forefront of research, preservation and interpretation of its own heritage.鈥� Its state-of-the-art conservation facilities 鈥渨ill shift the focus of Egyptology back to Egypt.鈥�
In the words of The Statesman, a newspaper published in India 鈥� another former colony that has sought to repatriate historical artifacts 鈥� 鈥淓gypt has transformed its most ancient treasures into a modern declaration of identity.鈥�