Latest news with #RamsesII
The Age
a day ago
- Science
- The Age
Seven things you must see at the world's largest archaeological museum
Seven wonders within the Grand Egyptian Museum The world's largest archaeological museum, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), is officially opening next month. Here are seven of the must-see highlights. 1 Hanging obelisk Of the GEM's 100,000 artefacts, only one is found outside. The 19-metre-tall obelisk, billed as the world's first hanging obelisk, stands in the entrance courtyard atop a basalt plinth. Step into the plinth and look up through a window to view a rare carving in the base of the obelisk – a cartouche bearing the name of King Ramses II. Until the 70-tonne obelisk was placed at this spot in 2018, the carving hadn't been seen for 3300 years. 2 Statue of Ramses II Dominating GEM's vast entrance hall, the 11-metre-high statue of one of the most famous of Egypt's pharaohs was discovered in six pieces in 1882 in the former Egyptian capital of Memphis. Rebuilt, it stood sentinel in a central Cairo square for 50 years, but is now the centrepiece of a hall so capacious that the 80-tonne red-granite statue almost loses its sense of scale. Stand beneath it, however, and you'll know you're in the presence of ancient greatness. 3 Pyramid view
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Science
- Sydney Morning Herald
Seven things you must see at the world's largest archaeological museum
Seven wonders within the Grand Egyptian Museum The world's largest archaeological museum, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), is officially opening next month. Here are seven of the must-see highlights. 1 Hanging obelisk Of the GEM's 100,000 artefacts, only one is found outside. The 19-metre-tall obelisk, billed as the world's first hanging obelisk, stands in the entrance courtyard atop a basalt plinth. Step into the plinth and look up through a window to view a rare carving in the base of the obelisk – a cartouche bearing the name of King Ramses II. Until the 70-tonne obelisk was placed at this spot in 2018, the carving hadn't been seen for 3300 years. 2 Statue of Ramses II Dominating GEM's vast entrance hall, the 11-metre-high statue of one of the most famous of Egypt's pharaohs was discovered in six pieces in 1882 in the former Egyptian capital of Memphis. Rebuilt, it stood sentinel in a central Cairo square for 50 years, but is now the centrepiece of a hall so capacious that the 80-tonne red-granite statue almost loses its sense of scale. Stand beneath it, however, and you'll know you're in the presence of ancient greatness. 3 Pyramid view
The Star
21-05-2025
- The Star
In Egypt, the world's most anticipated museum is finally open... mostly
I was drawn to the outskirts of Cairo by the colossal complex in the desert – a towering site that arose over decades, built at unimaginable expense, with precisely cut stones sourced from local quarries; a set of buildings whose construction, plagued by extraordinary challenges, spanned the reigns of several rulers; a collective cultural testament, the largest of its kind, teeming with royal history. No, I'm not referring to Giza's famous pyramids. I came to see the Grand Egyptian Museum. There is perhaps no institution on Earth whose opening has been as wildly anticipated, or as mind-bogglingly delayed, as the Grand Egyptian Museum outside Cairo. Its construction has been such a fiasco – mired by funding lapses, logistical hurdles, a pandemic, nearby wars, revolutions (yes, plural) – that it begs comparison to that of the pyramids that lie just over a mile away on the Giza Plateau. (The 4,600-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza, built from around 2.3 million stone blocks and without the use of wheels, pulleys or iron tools, took 25 years to build, by some estimates. So far, the Grand Egyptian Museum has taken more than 20.) Visitors in the Grand Hall of the museum, where a colossal statue of Ramses II – moved from downtown Cairo in 2006 – now stands. Planned openings have come and gone since 2012. (Even The New York Times got it wrong; its list of 52 Places To Go in 2020 prematurely referred to the 'fancy new digs for King Tut and company.') In time, frustrations bubbled over for would-be visitors, many of whom had planned vacations around the new museum. The wait is now over. Well, mostly. Visitors take in the ancient pyramids of Giza, framed through a set of windows at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, in February 2025. The Grand Egyptian Museum, outside Cairo, has been delayed by revolutions, wars, financial crises and a pandemic. (Stephen Hiltner/The New York Times) When I visited in mid-February, 11 of the 12 main exhibition galleries were open, along with the cavernous entrance hall and a broad staircase strewn with dozens of artefacts. But arguably the museum's biggest draw, the Tutankhamen galleries, which will showcase more than 5,000 artefacts from the boy king's tomb, remained closed. (For now, Tutankhamen's gold funeral mask, among the most iconic archaeological artefacts in the world, is still on display at the old Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir Square.) A collection of ushabti, the figurines left as servants for the dead, on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, in February 2025. Summarizing the exhibition halls would be a thankless task — and besides, the joy of visiting any vast museum is uncovering the peculiar selection of items that stands out to you alone. (Stephen Hiltner/The New York Times) Also inaccessible was a separate annex that will showcase two royal boats discovered near the Great Pyramid in 1954. Those portions of the museum are expected to open this summer, with an official ceremony scheduled for July 3. (You might take that date with a grain or two of salt.) Still, even the museum's incomplete offerings – along with the building itself and its billion-dollar views – are staggering. A limestone statue of the pharaoh Djoser on display at the old Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square in Cairo. Entering the main hall, I was struck by both the scale of the structure and the textural allure of its surfaces. Just inside the pyramidal entryway (the motifs aren't exactly subtle), I was greeted by one of the museum's many showstoppers: a 3,200-year-old statue of Ramses II, widely regarded as the most powerful of ancient Egypt's pharaohs, that stands about 10m tall and weighs more than 80 tonnes. The red-granite figure has a fabled modern history: It was found – lying on its side, broken into six pieces – by an Italian Egyptologist in 1820; in 1954 it was installed at a traffic circle in downtown Cairo, where it stood for half a century before being painstakingly transported to the new museum site in 2006. The innermost coffin of Tutankhamen, currently displayed at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, will soon be part of the complete collection exhibited at the museum. From the atrium I ascended the Grand Staircase, first via a long escalator and then again on foot, having returned to the bottom for a closer look at the dozens of large-scale statues, columns and sarcophagi that line the ascent. Atop the stairs was another breathtaking surprise: an unobstructed view of the Giza pyramids, perfectly framed in a set of floor-to-ceiling windows. I stood before the windows, helplessly transfixed, for the better part of an hour. If there's a better human-made view on the planet, I've yet to take it in. A painted limestone statue of Meryre, an Egyptian high priest, and his wife, Iniuia, on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, in February 2025. Billed as the largest archaeological museum in the world, as well as the largest museum devoted to a single civilization, it was initially proposed by Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's longtime authoritarian president, who announced his plans for a new flagship institution in 1992. (Stephen Hiltner/The New York Times) From the top of the stairs I entered the first of the museum's 12 main galleries, which are organised both chronologically and by theme, spanning from prehistory to the Roman era. The arrival of the Grand Egyptian Museum establishes a trio of must-see museums in and around Cairo. In Tahrir Square stands the oldest: the Egyptian Museum, a beautiful beaux-arts building that for more than a century has showcased one of the world's great collections of antiquities. (Largely unmodernised, the museum has transferred, and will continue transferring, many of its most prized items to Giza, prompting concerns about its future.) Hieroglyphic motifs and translucent stone adorn the exterior of the museum. Also in the mix is the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, another landmark that fully opened in 2021 and whose main draw is its haunting collection of royal mummies. All three are worthy of extended visits. In many respects, the Grand Egyptian Museum now stands alone. Billed as the largest archaeological museum in the world, as well as the largest museum devoted to a single civilisation, it was initially proposed by Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's longtime authoritarian president, who announced his plans for a new flagship institution in 1992. A ceremonial foundation stone was laid 10 years later, and Dublin-based Heneghan Peng Architects won a competition to design the building in 2003. Construction began in 2005. A golden figure that dates to around the Naqada III period, about 5,000 years ago, made with lapis lazuli inlays around the eyes, on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, in February 2025. The Grand Egyptian Museum, outside Cairo, has been delayed by revolutions, wars, financial crises and a pandemic. (Stephen Hiltner/The New York Times) Then came the long series of spectacular setbacks: the 2008 global economic crisis, the Arab Spring (and the subsequent decimation of Egypt's tourism industry), the pandemic, and wars in the Gaza Strip and Sudan. Over time, excitement for the museum was eclipsed by coverage of its postponement. But I doubt the epic delays will get the spotlight for much longer. If my experience is any indication, then all it takes to overlook the long wait is a leisurely stroll through the museum's timeless collection – and an extended gaze from the top of its staircase. – By STEPHEN HILTNER/©2025 The New York Times Company
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
7 of the best new museums to visit this year
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Whether it's getting in touch with different cultures, finding creative inspiration or even sinking your teeth into the history of a specific subject, museums can be intimate and interactive spaces that conjure new trains of thought while transporting visitors into other worlds — even if just for a brief moment. And 2025 is a great year to wander collection-filled halls, get lost in exhibitions and stimulate the senses with new interactive experiences — here's where to do it. A massive 11-metre, 3,200-year-old statue of Ramses II greets visitors at the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the largest archaeological museum in the world. This highly anticipated space dedicated to Ancient Egyptian civilisation has been in the works for over a decade, with multiple pushbacks due to rising costs and the pandemic, but the first galleries finally opened in late 2024. The grand staircase that leads to the main galleries is a statue-stacked celebration of Egypt's gods and kings, holding over 60 significant pieces from the museum's collection. Once upstairs, visitors can peer through the floor-to-ceiling windows that face the Pyramids of Giza before admiring the museum's 100,000-strong collection. Tours are offered every hour in Arabic and English and last 90 minutes, but that's not nearly enough to cover the entire museum. This July will finally see the museum's official grand opening, when the King Tutankhamun collection will be unveiled. Last June — on the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion on the 28th of the month — marked the opening of New York City's Stonewall National Monument Visitor Centre, a cultural hub dedicated to all things LGBTQ+. It's set in what was one half of the original Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, which was raided by police in 1969, sparking a series of protests. The visitor centre plays host to a variety of talks, live performances, on-site tours and exhibitions highlighting LGBTQ+ history while a modern revival of the original bar occupies the other half of the building next door. A rainbow-coloured Wall of Solidarity greets guests and unveils Stonewall's global legacy while highlighting the voices of revolutionary hope while an old-school jukebox, curated by DJ and activist Honey Dijon, plays inspirational hits that capture the Stonewall community's rebellious spirit and joy. Entry to the visitor centre is free of charge. Giant brick blocks and green pipes decorate the courtyard of the Nintendo Museum, which opened last October in Kyoto, Japan, conjuring up the imaginary world of the global entertainment brand. The museum, spread across three buildings, is dedicated to the history of Nintendo, from its humble roots — founded in 1889 as a maker of hanafuda ('flower cards', traditional Japanese playing cards) — to the company's latest games and consoles, including special editions and concepts that were never publicly released. The main attraction, as expected, is the collection of interactive games, featuring Nintendo's famous characters, from Kirby to Super Mario. End the nostalgia with a visit to the museum gift shop for Nintendo memorabilia, followed by the Hatena Burger restaurant, where visitors can choose from over 270,000 possible ways to build a burger. Tickets are made available by lottery and must be bought at least three months in advance through the museum's website. The sleek, white brutalist building that houses Kunstsilo, Norway's latest museum of contemporary Nordic art, might seem like a recent construction, but it's actually a repurposed flour mill built in 1935. Recognised for its modern, functionalist architecture, the silo is now home to prestigious collections that showcase 8,000 pieces of Nordic art. The Tangen Collection, the largest collection of Nordic modern art, gathers work from Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland from the late 1890s to present-day. Kunstsilo also offers digital contemporary art and temporary exhibitions, along with lectures, concerts and workshops. There's also a brasserie on the ground floor and the Panorama bar on the ninth, for views of the fjord and archipelago outside the southern port city of Kristiansand. British collector Christian Levett closed his museum of antiquity in Mougins on the French Riviera and reopened it as a dedicated space to art created entirely by women of the 19th to 21st centuries. Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins, or Women Artists of the Mougins Museum, holds Levett's personal collection of over 100 paintings and sculptures created by more than 80 artists such as Frida Kahlo, Blanche Hoschedé-Monet (stepdaughter of Claude Monet), Joan Mitchell, Jenna Gribbon, Leonora Carrington and dozens more. The ground floor is dedicated to painters of the impressionist and surrealist movements, while the first floor showcases abstract work from the 20th century. The second floor embodies figurative art and various depictions and expressions of the human body while the basement level is dedicated to 21st-century women artists and their legacies in the art world. The museum is open daily and tickets can be purchased in advance online. A museum dedicated entirely to flavour, the Museum of BBQ allows guests to get lost in the sauces of America's four main barbecue regions: Kansas City, Memphis, Texas and the Carolinas. Opened by food writer and BBQ judge Jonathan Bender, this Kansas City-based museum dives deep into every step of the sizzling practice, from meat cuts and dry rubs to how smoke, wood and fire affect the final result. Visitors can also soak up the history of the craft while enjoying some 'rib ticklers' (BBQ-themed dad jokes) and photos with the championship mustard belt — an ode to South Carolina's famous mustard-based sauce. After the culinary history, it's time to dive into a can of beans — or at least into the giant ball pit that resembles one. Shining a light on often-overlooked Balinese culture and history, the Saka Museum in Bali weaves the island's intimate connection to nature into its state-of-the-art architecture and design. Opened in 2024 by Ayana Bali, a destination resort with four award-winning hotels, the Saka Museum is free for hotel guests and open to others for a small fee. Named after the Hindu solar calendar, the museum showcases preserved ancient texts, gamelan instrument ensembles, stone statues and ogoh-ogoh sculptures from local Balinese communities as well as offers a deep dive behind Nyepi, Bali's annual, island-wide Day of Silence. Saka offers tours, seminars and exhibitions, along with vast indoor and outdoor spaces for weddings and special events. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
National Geographic
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- National Geographic
7 of the best new museums to visit this year
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Whether it's getting in touch with different cultures, finding creative inspiration or even sinking your teeth into the history of a specific subject, museums can be intimate and interactive spaces that conjure new trains of thought while transporting visitors into other worlds — even if just for a brief moment. And 2025 is a great year to wander collection-filled halls, get lost in exhibitions and stimulate the senses with new interactive experiences — here's where to do it. 1. Grand Egyptian Museum, Egypt A massive 11-metre, 3,200-year-old statue of Ramses II greets visitors at the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the largest archaeological museum in the world. This highly anticipated space dedicated to Ancient Egyptian civilisation has been in the works for over a decade, with multiple pushbacks due to rising costs and the pandemic, but the first galleries finally opened in late 2024. The grand staircase that leads to the main galleries is a statue-stacked celebration of Egypt's gods and kings, holding over 60 significant pieces from the museum's collection. Once upstairs, visitors can peer through the floor-to-ceiling windows that face the Pyramids of Giza before admiring the museum's 100,000-strong collection. Tours are offered every hour in Arabic and English and last 90 minutes, but that's not nearly enough to cover the entire museum. This July will finally see the museum's official grand opening, when the King Tutankhamun collection will be unveiled. An old-school jukebox, curated by DJ and activist Honey Dijon, plays inspirational hits that capture the Stonewall community's rebellious spirit and joy. Photograph by Stephen Kent Johnson 2. Stonewall National Monument Visitor Centre, US Last June — on the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion on the 28th of the month — marked the opening of New York City's Stonewall National Monument Visitor Centre, a cultural hub dedicated to all things LGBTQ+. It's set in what was one half of the original Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, which was raided by police in 1969, sparking a series of protests. The visitor centre plays host to a variety of talks, live performances, on-site tours and exhibitions highlighting LGBTQ+ history while a modern revival of the original bar occupies the other half of the building next door. A rainbow-coloured Wall of Solidarity greets guests and unveils Stonewall's global legacy while highlighting the voices of revolutionary hope while an old-school jukebox, curated by DJ and activist Honey Dijon, plays inspirational hits that capture the Stonewall community's rebellious spirit and joy. Entry to the visitor centre is free of charge. 3. Nintendo Museum, Japan Giant brick blocks and green pipes decorate the courtyard of the Nintendo Museum, which opened last October in Kyoto, Japan, conjuring up the imaginary world of the global entertainment brand. The museum, spread across three buildings, is dedicated to the history of Nintendo, from its humble roots — founded in 1889 as a maker of hanafuda ('flower cards', traditional Japanese playing cards) — to the company's latest games and consoles, including special editions and concepts that were never publicly released. The main attraction, as expected, is the collection of interactive games, featuring Nintendo's famous characters, from Kirby to Super Mario. End the nostalgia with a visit to the museum gift shop for Nintendo memorabilia, followed by the Hatena Burger restaurant, where visitors can choose from over 270,000 possible ways to build a burger. Tickets are made available by lottery and must be bought at least three months in advance through the museum's website. The striking brutalist building in Kristiansand in southern Norway houses the largest collection of Nordic modern art. Photograph by Alan Williams 4. Kunstsilo, Norway The sleek, white brutalist building that houses Kunstsilo, Norway's latest museum of contemporary Nordic art, might seem like a recent construction, but it's actually a repurposed flour mill built in 1935. Recognised for its modern, functionalist architecture, the silo is now home to prestigious collections that showcase 8,000 pieces of Nordic art. The Tangen Collection, the largest collection of Nordic modern art, gathers work from Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland from the late 1890s to present-day. Kunstsilo also offers digital contemporary art and temporary exhibitions, along with lectures, concerts and workshops. There's also a brasserie on the ground floor and the Panorama bar on the ninth, for views of the fjord and archipelago outside the southern port city of Kristiansand. 5. Women Artists of the Mougins Museum, France British collector Christian Levett closed his museum of antiquity in Mougins on the French Riviera and reopened it as a dedicated space to art created entirely by women of the 19th to 21st centuries. Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins, or Women Artists of the Mougins Museum, holds Levett's personal collection of over 100 paintings and sculptures created by more than 80 artists such as Frida Kahlo, Blanche Hoschedé-Monet (stepdaughter of Claude Monet), Joan Mitchell, Jenna Gribbon, Leonora Carrington and dozens more. The ground floor is dedicated to painters of the impressionist and surrealist movements, while the first floor showcases abstract work from the 20th century. The second floor embodies figurative art and various depictions and expressions of the human body while the basement level is dedicated to 21st-century women artists and their legacies in the art world. The museum is open daily and tickets can be purchased in advance online. Visitors to the Museum of BBQ can dive into a ball pit resembling a can of BBQ beans at the end of their visit. 6. Museum of BBQ, US A museum dedicated entirely to flavour, the Museum of BBQ allows guests to get lost in the sauces of America's four main barbecue regions: Kansas City, Memphis, Texas and the Carolinas. Opened by food writer and BBQ judge Jonathan Bender, this Kansas City-based museum dives deep into every step of the sizzling practice, from meat cuts and dry rubs to how smoke, wood and fire affect the final result. Visitors can also soak up the history of the craft while enjoying some 'rib ticklers' (BBQ-themed dad jokes) and photos with the championship mustard belt — an ode to South Carolina's famous mustard-based sauce. After the culinary history, it's time to dive into a can of beans — or at least into the giant ball pit that resembles one. 7. Saka Museum, Indonesia Shining a light on often-overlooked Balinese culture and history, the Saka Museum in Bali weaves the island's intimate connection to nature into its state-of-the-art architecture and design. Opened in 2024 by Ayana Bali, a destination resort with four award-winning hotels, the Saka Museum is free for hotel guests and open to others for a small fee. Named after the Hindu solar calendar, the museum showcases preserved ancient texts, gamelan instrument ensembles, stone statues and ogoh-ogoh sculptures from local Balinese communities as well as offers a deep dive behind Nyepi, Bali's annual, island-wide Day of Silence. Saka offers tours, seminars and exhibitions, along with vast indoor and outdoor spaces for weddings and special events. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
