The Egyptian Grand Museum (GEM) has successfully installed a hanging obelisk in front of the museum’s entrance, according to sources within the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The obelisk is the first of its kind and contains the rare cartouche of King Ramses II. Installing the Obelisk was a difficult task, as it needed to be protected from vibrations from cars or the nearby Metro. The GEM is set to showcase nearly 50,000 artifacts, with 5,000 relics from Tutankhamun’s collection—including 2,000 artifacts that will be displayed for the first time. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in April 2020 decided to delay the opening of both the GEM and the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to 2021 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: Egypt Independent January 07, 2021 10:52 UTC