The Grand Egyptian Museum opened its doors to the public on Tuesday, establishing itself as one of the world's largest displays of ancient relics, and a high-tech fort dedicated to heritage conservation. After two decades of construction, the nearly 500,000 square-meter museum was officially inaugurated on the Giza Plateau, 2 km from the pyramids and the Sphinx, marking a significant milestone in Egypt's long effort to preserve and promote its archaeological legacy. The main galleries display thousands of previously stored antiquities for the first time, housing the complete collection of some 5,992 artifacts from the tomb of the boy-king Tutankhamun. In addition to acting as a major catalyst for Egypt's tourism sector, the museum also serves as a hub for scientific research and restoration, housing one of the Middle East's largest and most advanced conservation and restoration centers. More than 18,000 tourists visited the museum on Tuesday. The opening of the museum is key to Egypt's national plan to attract 30 million tourists annually by 2030. Construction of the museum began in 2005, but the project faced numerous delays over the years due to political instability and funding challenges. Shotlist: Giza, Egypt - Oct 22, 2025: 1. Exterior of Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM); Giza, Egypt - Nov 4, 2025 2. Tourists buying tickets at window; Giza, Egypt - Oct 22, 2025 3. Various of interior of museum; Giza, Egypt - Nov 4, 2025 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Malaysian tourist (name not given): "I expect to see great things about Egyptian history since the Tutankhamun (period) and all the things that have been brought back to Egypt."; 5. Tourists buying tickets at window; 6. Various of tourists; Giza, Egypt - Oct 22, 2025 7. Various of interior of museum; 8. View outside museum window. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]