The Grand Egyptian Museum has opened new galleries to visitors, according to a travel review by Geoffrey Lenox-Smith published by The Past. Lenox-Smith describes returning to the museum, which stands on the Giza plateau near the pyramids, to view the newly accessible spaces following an earlier visit.
The Grand Egyptian Museum is one of the largest projects of its kind devoted to a single civilisation, and its phased opening has been keenly followed by anyone with an interest in ancient Egypt. Lenox-Smith's account is framed as a personal return, allowing him to compare the galleries as he first found them with what is now on show. For readers planning their own trip, a first-hand impression of how the collection is displayed and how the visitor experience has developed is a useful guide.
The museum has long been associated in the public imagination with the treasures of Tutankhamun, whose burial goods are among the most celebrated survivals from the ancient world. A visit of this kind offers a chance to see how such material is presented in a modern setting, and how the museum arranges its galleries to lead visitors through the long span of Egyptian history rather than treating any single reign in isolation.
Lenox-Smith's review sits within The Past's travel coverage, which regularly reports on museums and heritage sites for readers who want to see the objects and places in person. His return visit underlines a point that applies to any large institution opening in stages: the experience can change considerably between visits as further galleries come into use and the display of the collection matures.
For those unable to travel to Giza, the objects on show there remain a rewarding subject of study from home. Much of what fills such galleries, from coffins and stelae to statues and everyday objects, carries hieroglyphic inscriptions, and learning even a handful of common signs can transform a museum visit. Readers who would like to begin reading those inscriptions for themselves can do so with the Hierolyte app.
Lenox-Smith's full account of the new galleries, with his impressions of the displays and the setting near the pyramids, is available through The Past.