General museological concept

The display concept for the 100 000 pieces of artifacts intends to illustrate the historical, cultural and territorial evolution of Ancient Egypt, as documented by the archaeological discoveries and the historical and epigraphical sources.

Therefore, the main objective of the exhibition is not high lighting the aesthetic value of the objects, but using the collections and the individual objects as instruments to understand the development of the civilization and its related activities. Obviously, great attention is granted to the aesthetic aspect of the collections and the objects, when selecting them, to offer to the visitors a vision generally defined as "The Art of Ancient Egypt". The exhibitions therefore provide besides the original pieces, a suitable didactic and iconographic apparatus (prints, photographs, drawings, maps, etc…) that explains the meaning of the pieces and illustrates the archaeological sites of provenance, the historical events, the developments of techniques, and so on. The museum as such, bears a historical and cultural approach, but could be visited in a thematic hypertextual way which actually represents the novelty of the exhibition.

The museum is compromising five thematic areas chronologically displayed:

The Grand Egyptian Museum is a museum for the 21st century that:

• Exhibits properly the complete collection from the tomb of Tutankhamun (more than 5000 artifacts) within secure showcases, adequate space and friendly environment. More than half of the collection is still preserved in storerooms since discovered in 1922.
• Displays the nearly complete collection belonging to Hetepheres, mother of Khufu discovered at Giza in 1925 and contains the exciting remains of the royal bedroom and unique jewels.
• The Wooden Models from the tomb of Meketre of the11th Dynasty contain the intricate set of wooden models of weavers and carpenters workshops, the counting of cattle the house garden and pool, fishing and transportation boats and the offering bearer. It is aimed to exhibit virtually the other half of the set exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum in New York .
• Models of Egyptian and Nubian soldiers from the tomb of Mesehty, governor of Asiut during the 11th Dynasty.
• Artifacts from the tomb of Maherpri from the Valley of the Kings , containing the splendid collection of funerary artifacts and the Book of the Dead papyrus.
• Funerary artifacts from the tomb of chief artisan Sennedjem from Deir el Medianh and completing the findings from other museums virtually.
• Great quantities of coffins and sarcophagi decorated with elaborate scenes and belong the third Intermediate and later periods.
• Hundreds of statues of deities and royal and private statuary found in Karnak cachet in 1904-5.
• Hundreds of Papyrus pieces (Egyptian, Greek, Latin) containing religious, mythological, historical, and administrative texts.

The artifacts are gathered from the Cairo Egyptian Museum and from the sites and storerooms allover the country. The detailed design of the construction, the displays as well as the facilities of conservation and other components of the museum are handled according to the highest qualities and latest worldwide measures. A sophisticated database for the display of the artifacts had also been created.

 

The Grand Museum is a hub for Egyptologists of the world offering them:

• Data bank and Egyptology Library for studying worldwide collections of Egyptian artifacts.
• Laboratories for scientific research and conservation according to the best standards. Hi-tech standards are utilized coping with the rapid technological developments reached in the different fields (scanners, microscopes, carbon 14 dating etc.).
• Preserving the artifacts in a museum that maintains controlled environment and save them from being rotten or attacked by insects or rodent.
• Secure the artifacts from robbery by bringing them out of their storerooms and crates, register, study and display them.
• Create an open air display for larger monuments and create parks and garden containing some flora of ancient Egypt .
• Multimedia projections and training facilities in all museuology and archaeology aspects.
• A museum for children and galleries for the disabled are also planned.