Foreign News

Egypt’s Grand Museum opens, displaying Tutankhamun tomb in full for first time

Published

7 months ago

2025/11/1

Priyan

The new museum will show all of the artefacts discovered by Howard Carter and his team in the tomb of Tutankhamun (BBC)

Near one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza – Egypt is officially opening what it intends as a cultural highlight of the modern age.

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), described as the world’s largest archaeological museum, is packed with some 100,000 artefacts covering some seven millennia of the country’s history from pre-dynastic times to the Greek and Roman eras.

Prominent Egyptologists argue that its establishment strengthens their demand for key Egyptian antiquities held in other countries to be returned – including the famed Rosetta Stone displayed at the British Museum.

A main draw of the GEM will be the entire contents of the intact tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun, displayed together for the first time since it was found by British Egyptologist Howard Carter. They include Tutankhamun’s spectacular gold mask, throne and chariots.

Reuters People walk next to a statue of King Ramses II in the main hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum, one of the country's most iconic monuments — *The museum is packed with some 100,000 artefacts, including a statue of King Ramses II [BBC]*

“I had to think, how can we show him in a different way, because since the discovery of the tomb in 1922, about 1,800 pieces from a total of over 5,500 that were inside the tomb were on display,” says Dr Tarek Tawfik, president of the International Association of Egyptologists and former head of the GEM.

“I had the idea of displaying the complete tomb, which means nothing remains in storage, nothing remains in other museums, and you get to have the complete experience, the way Howard Carter had it over a hundred years ago.”

Costing some $1.2bn (£910m; €1.1bn), the vast museum complex is expected to attract up to 8m visitors a year, giving a huge boost to Egyptian tourism which has been hit by regional crises.

“We hope the Grand Egyptian Museum will usher in a new golden age of Egyptology and cultural tourism,” says Ahmed Seddik, a guide and aspiring Egyptologist by the pyramids on the Giza Plateau.

Apart from the Tutankhamun exhibit and a new display of the spectacular, 4,500-year-old funerary boat of Khufu – one of the oldest and best-preserved vessels from antiquity – most of the galleries at the site have been opened to the public since last year.

“I’ve been organising so many tours to the museum even though it was partially open,” Ahmed continues. “Now it will be at the pinnacle of its glory. When the Tutankhamun collection opens, then you can imagine the whole world will come back, because this is an iconic Pharoah, the most famous king of all antiquity.”

“It’s an absolute must-see,” says Spanish tourist, Raúl, who is awaiting the full public opening on 4 November.

“We’re just waiting to go and check out all of the Egyptian artefacts,” says Sam from London, who is on an Egypt tour. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

*The majority of the museum, including the Grand Staircase, has been open to the public since last year [BBC]*

Another British tourist says she previously saw the Tutankhamun exhibits on display at the neoclassical Egyptian Museum in bustling Tahrir Square.

“The old museum was pretty chaotic, and it was a bit confusing,” she comments. “Hopefully the Grand Museum will be a lot easier to take in and I think you will just get more out of it.”

The new museum is colossal, spanning 500,000 square metres (5.4m sq ft) – about the size of 70 football pitches. The exterior is covered in hieroglyphs and translucent alabaster cut into triangles with a pyramid shaped entrance.

Among the GEM showstoppers are a 3,200-year-old, 16m-long suspended obelisk of the powerful pharaoh, Ramesses II, and his massive 11m-high statue. The imposing statue was moved from close to the Cairo railway station in 2006, in a complex operation in preparation for the new institution.

A giant staircase is lined with the statues of other ancient kings and queens and on an upper floor a huge window offers a perfectly framed view of the Giza pyramids.

The museum was first proposed in 1992, during the rule of President Hosni Mubarak, and construction began in 2005. It has now taken nearly as long to complete as the Great Pyramid, according to estimates.

*The vast complex is expected to attract up to eight million visitors a year [BBC]*

The project was hit by financial crises, the 2011 Arab Spring – which deposed Mubarak and led to years of turmoil – the Covid-19 pandemic, and regional wars.

“It was my dream. I’m really happy to see this museum is finally opened!” Dr Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s former long-time minister of tourism and antiquities, tells the BBC. The veteran archaeologist says it shows that Egyptians are equals of foreign Egyptologists when it comes to excavations, preservation of monuments and curating museums.

“Now I want two things: number one, museums to stop buying stolen artefacts and number two, I need three objects to come back: the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum, the Zodiac from the Louvre and the Bust of Nefertiti from Berlin.”

Dr Hawass has set up online petitions – attracting hundreds of thousands of signatures – calling for all three items to be repatriated.

The Rosetta Stone, found in 1799, provided the key to deciphering hieroglyphics. It was discovered by the French army and was seized by the British as war booty. A French team cut the Dendera Zodiac, an ancient Egyptian celestial map, from the Temple of Hathor in Upper Egypt in 1821. Egypt accuses German archaeologists of smuggling the colourfully painted bust of Nefertiti, wife of Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten, out of the country more than a century ago.

“We need the three objects to come as a good feeling from these three countries, as a gift, as Egypt gave the world many gifts,” Dr Hawass says.

*The Dendera Zodiac is currently in the Louvre but the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum has renewed calls for it to be returned [BBC]*

Another leading Egyptologist, Dr Monica Hanna, names the same objects, “taken under a colonialist pretext”, as ones which must be repatriated. She adds: “The GEM gives this message that Egypt has done its homework very well to officially ask for the objects.”

The British Museum told the BBC that it had received “no formal requests for either the return or the loan of the Rosetta Stone from the Egyptian Government”.

Egyptian Egyptologists voice their excitement about the new museum becoming a centre for academic research, driving new discoveries.

Already, Egyptian conservators based there have painstakingly restored items belonging to Tutankhamun, including his impressive armour made of textiles and leather. According to Egyptian law, such restorations can only be done by Egyptians.

“Colleagues from around the world have been in awe of the fantastic conservation work that has been done,” says Dr Tawfik, adding that the entire project is a source of great national pride. “As well as ancient Egyptian history, we are also showcasing modern Egypt because it’s Egypt that built this museum.”

***[BBC]***

Getty Images A grand staircase displays statues of ancient kings and queens of Egypt, as visitors admire them. — *The museum is packed with some 100,000 artefacts, including a statue of King Ramses II [BBC]*

“I had to think, how can we show him in a different way, because since the discovery of the tomb in 1922, about 1,800 pieces from a total of over 5,500 that were inside the tomb were on display,” says Dr Tarek Tawfik, president of the International Association of Egyptologists and former head of the GEM.

“I had the idea of displaying the complete tomb, which means nothing remains in storage, nothing remains in other museums, and you get to have the complete experience, the way Howard Carter had it over a hundred years ago.”

Costing some $1.2bn (£910m; €1.1bn), the vast museum complex is expected to attract up to 8m visitors a year, giving a huge boost to Egyptian tourism which has been hit by regional crises.

“We hope the Grand Egyptian Museum will usher in a new golden age of Egyptology and cultural tourism,” says Ahmed Seddik, a guide and aspiring Egyptologist by the pyramids on the Giza Plateau.

Apart from the Tutankhamun exhibit and a new display of the spectacular, 4,500-year-old funerary boat of Khufu – one of the oldest and best-preserved vessels from antiquity – most of the galleries at the site have been opened to the public since last year.

“I’ve been organising so many tours to the museum even though it was partially open,” Ahmed continues. “Now it will be at the pinnacle of its glory. When the Tutankhamun collection opens, then you can imagine the whole world will come back, because this is an iconic Pharoah, the most famous king of all antiquity.”

“It’s an absolute must-see,” says Spanish tourist, Raúl, who is awaiting the full public opening on 4 November.

“We’re just waiting to go and check out all of the Egyptian artefacts,” says Sam from London, who is on an Egypt tour. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

*The majority of the museum, including the Grand Staircase, has been open to the public since last year [BBC]*

Another British tourist says she previously saw the Tutankhamun exhibits on display at the neoclassical Egyptian Museum in bustling Tahrir Square.

“The old museum was pretty chaotic, and it was a bit confusing,” she comments. “Hopefully the Grand Museum will be a lot easier to take in and I think you will just get more out of it.”

The new museum is colossal, spanning 500,000 square metres (5.4m sq ft) – about the size of 70 football pitches. The exterior is covered in hieroglyphs and translucent alabaster cut into triangles with a pyramid shaped entrance.

Among the GEM showstoppers are a 3,200-year-old, 16m-long suspended obelisk of the powerful pharaoh, Ramesses II, and his massive 11m-high statue. The imposing statue was moved from close to the Cairo railway station in 2006, in a complex operation in preparation for the new institution.

A giant staircase is lined with the statues of other ancient kings and queens and on an upper floor a huge window offers a perfectly framed view of the Giza pyramids.

The museum was first proposed in 1992, during the rule of President Hosni Mubarak, and construction began in 2005. It has now taken nearly as long to complete as the Great Pyramid, according to estimates.

*The vast complex is expected to attract up to eight million visitors a year [BBC]*

The project was hit by financial crises, the 2011 Arab Spring – which deposed Mubarak and led to years of turmoil – the Covid-19 pandemic, and regional wars.

“It was my dream. I’m really happy to see this museum is finally opened!” Dr Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s former long-time minister of tourism and antiquities, tells the BBC. The veteran archaeologist says it shows that Egyptians are equals of foreign Egyptologists when it comes to excavations, preservation of monuments and curating museums.

“Now I want two things: number one, museums to stop buying stolen artefacts and number two, I need three objects to come back: the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum, the Zodiac from the Louvre and the Bust of Nefertiti from Berlin.”

Dr Hawass has set up online petitions – attracting hundreds of thousands of signatures – calling for all three items to be repatriated.

The Rosetta Stone, found in 1799, provided the key to deciphering hieroglyphics. It was discovered by the French army and was seized by the British as war booty. A French team cut the Dendera Zodiac, an ancient Egyptian celestial map, from the Temple of Hathor in Upper Egypt in 1821. Egypt accuses German archaeologists of smuggling the colourfully painted bust of Nefertiti, wife of Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten, out of the country more than a century ago.

“We need the three objects to come as a good feeling from these three countries, as a gift, as Egypt gave the world many gifts,” Dr Hawass says.

*The Dendera Zodiac is currently in the Louvre but the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum has renewed calls for it to be returned [BBC]*

Another leading Egyptologist, Dr Monica Hanna, names the same objects, “taken under a colonialist pretext”, as ones which must be repatriated. She adds: “The GEM gives this message that Egypt has done its homework very well to officially ask for the objects.”

The British Museum told the BBC that it had received “no formal requests for either the return or the loan of the Rosetta Stone from the Egyptian Government”.

Egyptian Egyptologists voice their excitement about the new museum becoming a centre for academic research, driving new discoveries.

Already, Egyptian conservators based there have painstakingly restored items belonging to Tutankhamun, including his impressive armour made of textiles and leather. According to Egyptian law, such restorations can only be done by Egyptians.

“Colleagues from around the world have been in awe of the fantastic conservation work that has been done,” says Dr Tawfik, adding that the entire project is a source of great national pride. “As well as ancient Egyptian history, we are also showcasing modern Egypt because it’s Egypt that built this museum.”

***[BBC]***

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Foreign News

Rescue diver dies during search for bodies of Italians who drowned in Maldives caves

Published

1 day ago

2026/05/17

Priyan

Mohamed Mahdhee [BBC]

A rescue diver has died while searching for the bodies of a group of Italians who died in a scuba-diving accident in the Maldives.

Staff Sgt Mohamed Mahdhee was taken to hospital in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries, a government spokesman told the BBC on Saturday.

Five Italians died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of around 50m (164ft) on Thursday. So far, the body of one of them is thought to have been recovered, in a cave at a depth of around 60m (197ft).

The incident is believed to be the worst single diving accident in the tiny Indian Ocean nation, a popular tourist destination because of its string of coral islands.

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu travelled to Vaavu Atoll on Saturday to observe the search operations.

“Eight rescue divers went into the water today. When they surfaced, they realised Mahdhee didn’t come up,” Mohamed Hossain Shareef, a Maldivian government spokesman told the BBC.

The other divers immediately went into the water again and they found Mahdhee had blacked out.

The Maldives military has described the operation as very high risk, with unfavourable weather conditions.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani sent condolences: “These days of grief for Italy are compounded by the news that one of your brave soldiers… died while attempting to dive to reach the bodies of our fellow Italians.”

“This tragedy unites Italy and the Maldives in grief and respect for the victims,” he added.

Instagram/University of Genoa/Albatros Top Boat Two women and a man on the right - a composite image of three of the victims of a diving tragedy in Italy — *Among the five who died were Giorgia Sommacal (L), her mother Monica Montefalcone (C) and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti [BBC]*

Four of the Italian divers were part of a University of Genoa team, including professor of ecology Monica Montefalcone, her daughter and two researchers. The fifth was a boat operations manager and diving instructor.

The five entered the water at Vaavu Atoll on Thursday morning, local media said, and were reported missing when they failed to resurface later on.

Police said the weather was rough in the area, about 100km (62 miles) south of the capital, Male. A yellow warning was issued for passenger boats and fishermen.

Shareef said recreational scuba divers were only allowed to dive up to a depth of 30m and it was not clear why the Italians went into a cave that’s 60m under water.

Italy’s foreign ministry said earlier that another 20 Italian nationals aboard the Duke of York yacht, from which the five divers took off, were unharmed and receiving assistance from the Embassy of Italy in Colombo, Sri Lanka

[BBC]

Foreign News

At least eight killed, 35 injured as train hits bus in Bangkok

Published

1 day ago

2026/05/17

Priyan

Emergency services work at a site where a train collided with a bus and several cars on Asok-Din Daeng Road, causing several casualties, in Bangkok, Thailand, May 16, 2026. [Aljazeera]

At least eight people have been killed, and dozens injured, after a freight train crashed into a public bus in Thailand’s capital.

Flames engulfed the bus and nearby vehicles near an airport rail link station in the centre of Bangkok Saturday afternoon.

The city’s emergency services Erawan Medical Center confirmed the number of deaths, while Bangkok police chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit told AFP news agency at least 35 people were injured.

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat said that all the bodies were found on the bus. It was not yet clear how many people were on board in total.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered an investigation into the crash, according to a statement from his office.

Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng, reporting from Bangkok, said the crash unfolded around 3:40pm local time (08:40 GMT), when the bus appeared to get stuck on an intersection with the rail line after the safety barriers descended.

As the freight train rammed into the stationary bus and continued travelling, it dragged several nearby vehicles along with it before the bus burst into flames.

Siripong would not confirm whether the bus had stopped on the railway track or discuss reports that the barriers may not have lowered properly, saying the matter still needs to be investigated.

Firefighters and rescue crews were dispatched to pull people from the wreckage and battle the flames as motorcyclists and passersby attempted to redirect traffic.

The fire has since been brought under control.

[Aljazeera]

Foreign News

New Zealand’s Māori Queen meets King Charles at Buckingham Palace

Published

3 days ago

2026/05/15

Priyan

The meeting with the British monarch was Te Arikinui's first since she became Maori Queen [BBC]

New Zealand’s Māori Queen Te Arikinui Kuini Nga Wai hono i te po has met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.

The meeting with the British monarch was Te Arikinui’s first since she became queen in 2024, following the death of her father, Kiingi Tuheitia.

The visit marks a near 200-year relationship between the indigenous peoples of New Zealand and the crown, formalised in the Treaty of Waitangi, one of New Zealand’s founding documents.

A spokesperson for the queen says the two discussed the former king’s death in what was a “heartfelt” discussion, as well as the strengthening of their relationship.

Getty Images King Charles III during an audience with Maori queen, Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, at Buckingham Palace, London. — *The visit marks a near 200-year relationship between the indigenous peoples of New Zealand and the crown [BBC]*

Earlier this week, the Māori queen was also welcomed by Prince William to Windsor Castle.

In a post on Instagram, Prince William acknowledged the visit, saying, “it was a pleasure to meet with the Queen.”

A statement released after the meeting from the Kīngitanga said the Māori queen discussed a range of global topics with Prince William.

“Te Arikinui affirmed her belief in the power of indigenous knowledge and intergenerational stewardship to help solve the world’s environmental and social challenges.”

Te Arikinui was crowned in 2024 after the death of her father – becoming only the second Māori queen, the first being her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.

The Māori monarchy dates back to the 19th Century, when different Māori tribes decided to create a unifying figure similar to that of a European monarch in order to try to prevent the widespread loss of land to New Zealand’s British colonisers and to preserve Māori culture. It is a largely ceremonial and symbolic role.

[BBC]