Inside the world's largest archeology museum - the Grand Egyptian Museum in pictures
A visitor looks out towards the Giza pyramid complex at the world's largest archeological museum, which is slated to fully open this summer outside of Cairo. Photograph: Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images
The museum's main hall. Sprawling over more than 100 acres and featuring some 100,000 artifacts, it is the largest museum devoted to a single civilization. Photograph: Daniel Greenhouse/Alamy
A statue of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the museum's main hall. Egypt's longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak first proposed the museum in 1992, and construction on the project began in 2005. Photograph:After years of delays due to political unrest and the Covid-19 pandemic, parts of the museum opened in 2023 to limited tours. Photograph: Tamer Adel/Alamy
The museum's grand opening is slated for 3 July 2025. Photograph: Robin Jerstad/Alamy
Officials have said they expect the museum to draw 5 million visitors per year. Photograph: Robin Jerstad/Alamy
Photograph:The top of the main building is level with the Giza pyramids. Photograph: GEM
The building's facade pays tribute to the nearby pyramids and is made of translucent alabaster stone. Photograph: Tamer Adel/Alamy
The original Egyptian Museum, in Cairo's Tahrir Square, will continue to operate. Photograph: robertharding/Alamy
However many of its artifacts, including those from the reign of Tutankhamun, have been or will be relocated to the new museum. Photograph: Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images
The final transportation and installation of a granite statue of Ramses II in 2018. Officials spent years assembling the museum's collection. Photograph: Barry Iverson/Alamy
Today the statue presides over the museum's main hall. Photograph:Designers say the building's climate-smart designs – which include a reflective roof, external shading and resource-efficient lighting – help it save more than 60% in energy costs and reduce water use by a third. Photograph: David Ribeiro/Alamy
An Egyptian archeologist works next to the gilded coffin of King Tutankhamun, which underwent an eight-month restoration process, the first since the tomb was discovered in 1922. Around 150 conservators and researchers work on-site restoring and studying artifacts. Many of the artifacts on display are being shown to the public for the first time.
Photograph: Mohamed Hossam/EPA
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
State Dept says current US visas from travel ban countries will not be revoked
The State Department instructed U.S. embassies and consulates on Friday not to revoke visas previously issued to people from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries now under President Donald Trump's new travel ban, which goes into effect next week. In a cable sent to all U.S. diplomatic missions, the department said 'no action should be taken for issued visas which have already left the consular section' and that 'no visas issued prior to the effective date should be revoked pursuant to this proclamation.' However, visa applicants from affected countries whose applications have been approved but have not yet received their visas will be denied, according to the cable, which was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. And, unless an applicant meets narrow criteria for an exemption to the ban, his or her application will be rejected starting on Monday. Still, the cable, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, suggests there should be no issue for current visa holders from the affected countries entering the United States after the restrictions take effect on June 9 at midnight ET. During Trump's first term, a hastily written executive order ordering the denial of entry to citizens of mainly Muslim countries created chaos at numerous airports and other ports of entry, prompting successful legal challenges and major revisions to the policy. The new proclamation, which Trump signed on Wednesday, appears designed to beat any court challenge by focusing on the visa application process. Rubio's cable says the only people who should be denied entry into the U.S. are those currently outside the United States who do not have a valid visa on the effective date. Despite Rubio's cable, physically entering the United States at a port of entry is not controlled by the State Department. It is up to the Department of Homeland Security and the discretion of individual Customs and Border Patrol agents to determine if a visa holder is admitted or turned away. The visa ban applies to people from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Other visa restrictions will apply to people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Some exceptions apply only for specific countries, like Afghanistan. Others are for most of the countries on the list, or are more general and unclear, like the policies for foreign visitors planning to come to the U.S. for the 2026 Word Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, two of the events Trump has said he is excited to host. Rubio's cable said criteria for the exemptions under a national security waiver would be issued soon.
The Sun
12 hours ago
- The Sun
Iconic holiday company ‘returns' after going bust three years ago with angry holidaymakers still out of pocket
TELETEXT holidays is back three years after going bust. The much-loved travel agent went into administration at the end of 2021 leaving thousands of customers owed refunds. The brand, which has been bought by new owners, is not connected to the old company - but its return has sparked anger with travellers who lost out. The company struggled during the pandemic, when flights were grounded and overseas travel cancelled. The new website reads: "Now in 2025, we are pleased to announce that Teletext Holidays is under the new ownership and management of Teletext Travel Ltd. "We have acquired the necessary intellectual property (IP) from the liquidators of Teletext Ltd, ensuring that the legacy of Teletext Holidays continues with us." Community support worker Andy Bardsley never got his money back for the £3,300 he spent on two holidays to Egypt in 2020. Andy, 59, from Oldham, told The Sun he rang the company to try get a refund when he heard it had gone into administration. He said: "All they kept saying was that they would get back to me, but they never did. As he paid using his credit card, he tried claiming the money back from his credit card provider under Section 75 - a powerful consumer protection shoppers can use if they bought anything worth more than £100. But his claims were rejected because he didn't have a receipt for his holidays, Andy said. He didn't apply for a refund through the Travel Trust Association, which is a trade body that was responsible for issuing refunds, because he thought his chances of getting money back were slim. "It's frustrating, I've lost a lot of money. "I work really hard for the money I have. I want to go back on holiday, but I'm nervous about this happening again." Other out-of-pocket customers have also complained on social media. One disgruntled holidaymaker said: "Still owed and they are back trading." Another said. "£600 they took of us never got back." Another posted: "Have you all had your money back? Or just given up..." How is the new Teletext Holidays different? Unfortunately, just because Teletext Holidays is back does not mean that you will be able to claim an outstanding refund from it. "The old company and new company are two separate and distinct legal entities, so the old customers won't have any legal claim against the new owners of the brand - as they would never have had a contractual arrangement with them," James Daley from Fairer Finance said. It is normal for companies which have gone into administration to be bought by new owners. Administrators will try and find a new buyer for the company and the brand. The new Teletext Holidays site is only accepting bookings over the phone - you can't book your trip online. What can affected customers do? After Teletext Holidays' collapse, the Competition and Markets Authority told holidaymakers to submit a claim to the Travel Trust Association, which is a trade body that was responsible for issuing refunds. The Sun has asked the TTA if affected customers can still put in a claim. It may be too late to claim back money back via Section 75 if you used a credit card. That's because you only have 120 days within making the purchase to put in a claim. Teletext Holidays said: "As an independent entity, we want to clarify that we have no affiliations with the previously known Truly Travel Ltd or Teletext Ltd." What happened to the old Teletext Holidays? Teletext Holidays ran into difficulties in the run-up to its collapse. In May 2021, Teletext Holidays promised to refund £7million to customers who were still owed cash from coronavirus cancellations by August 31, after thousands complained. But in October it faced court action over claims it had not done enough to refund customers for cancelled holidays during the Covid crisis. In November, the TTA revoked both firm's memberships, citing financial concerns. Consumer watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched the legal battle against the company to secure refunds for customers. How to protect your holiday booking GOING on holiday can be expensive - so make sure to protect your booking for when things go wrong Consider a package holiday, which offers better consumer protections. The tour operator must legally offer a refund or fix the problem, such as putting you up in another hotel if the one you booked is not as advertised. Many people buy travel insurance just before they're due to fly away, but you should buy a policy as soon as you book. That's because you're only protected from the moment you buy your policy. It may be tempting to skimp on a policy, but it's really important to get yourself covered. If something goes wrong, you'll be faced with expensive bills, which could include thousands of pounds in medical fees or costs to get back home if there are travel issues. Always pay for your holiday using a credit card if you can. Credit cards provide powerful consumer protections. You can claim the money back from your credit card provider under Section 75 if anything goes wrong, as long as the holiday was over £100. Make sure to pay your credit card off in full at the end of the month if you can afford to. This is so you can avoid paying any interest.
The Sun
13 hours ago
- The Sun
Budget airline to launch more flights to one of the world's cheapest holiday destinations
A BUDGET airline is increasing flights to an affordable holiday destination - less than a year after they first launched. Norse Atlantic Airways started the new route from London Gatwick to Cape Town in October 2024. 3 And the huge demand for the South African route has since seen them extend the flight season as well as add more flights. Previously offering three flights a week, this was increased to four earlier this year. And the airline has now increased it even further, with six flights a week being launched. And the seasonal route previously only operated until the end of April. However the new season will operate from October 2, 2025 until May 2026. Bård Nordhagen, Norse Chief Commercial Officer, said: "Following the success of our inaugural season we see great opportunity in the South African market. 'By expanding services, we wish to show to the trade and consumer markets we are committed to this route.' Andrew Fish, Head of UK & South African Sales at Norse Atlantic Airways added: 'We are seeing exceptional momentum on this route, and this frequency increase reflects both customer confidence and Norse Atlantic Airlines' long-term growth strategy." Cape Town was named the best value long-haul holiday destination in Post Office Travel Money's Long Haul Holiday Report last year. Not only is it affordable, but don't expect any jet lag either with no time difference. Best Value Winter Sun Long Haul Destinations And it is a great winter sun hotspot, with highs of 27C in November and January. The Sun's Head of Travel Caroline McGuire recently visited Cape Town with her family. She said: "Everything in Cape Town is so accessible that we landed at 8.30am, got our hire car, checked into the hotel and were on the glorious Camps Bay beach in swimsuits by 11.30am. "Camps Bay suburb feels like a cross between Cannes and a fancy California town, with its white sandy beach, backdrop of Table Mountain and smart restaurants lining the beachfront. What is it like flying on Norse? The Sun's Head of Travel Caroline McGuire recently tried the airline's Premium Economy out. Norse doesn't do online check-in - everyone checks in at the airport. And Premium passengers are given their own lane, so we waited about five minutes before dropping off our bags and getting our tickets. Most importantly, the chairs are very roomy. With a very decent recline that allowed my whole family to get a decent night's sleep. My son pretty much slept uninterrupted from 10pm to 7am, while I snatched a manageable 5ish hours, which is far more than I've ever done before in Economy on a long haul flight. Crew hand over ear plugs, eye masks, pillows and blankets at the start of the flight, as well as headphones for the TVs (you have to pay £5 for these in Economy). Two meals are also included - I had a decent tortellini, side salad and cheesecake-type evening meal with complimentary wine, and a hot cooked breakfast, plus a croissant, yogurt and mini fruit salad. To give you an idea of price, return fares for two adults and one child in premium economy cost £3,583 to Cape Town next March, while return fares in Premium Economy on a rival airline cost £5,000. "Better still, the one-hour time difference meant we had no jet lag, so we could get stuck in straight away without the need to sleep it off. "The famous mountain was the first adventure spot on our list. "And it made for a great family day out thanks to the rotating gondolas that slowly spin to offer panoramic views on the ascent to the top. " Norse currently offers six long-haul destinations, including Miami New York, Bangkok and Cape Town. Here are some of the other new flights that have launched this year.
