The Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza partially opened its main galleries on October 16 for a test run of up to 4,000 visitors a day, the Associated Press reported.
The test run, according to El-Tayeb Abbas, assistant to the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for archaeological affairs at the museum, will help prepare for the full opening, such as identifying where the museum is experiencing overcrowding. An official opening date has not yet been announced.
The exhibits in the 12 halls that will be open to the public touch on the society, religion, and doctrine of ancient Egypt, El-Tayeb Abbas added. Each hall is classified by dynasty and historical order, and will feature at least 15,000 artifacts.
Construction of the Grand Egyptian Museum next to the Giza pyramids began in 2005 at a cost of more than $1 billion. The museum was scheduled to open in 2020, but has been repeatedly delayed for various reasons, including the coronavirus pandemic. Since the end of 2022, some sections of the museum have been open for limited tours to test the experience and logistics of receiving visitors.