The GEM opening is a defining moment for an entire team of Egyptian conservators who have spent years restoring the remains of discoveries that immortalize the legacy of one of the world’s oldest civilizations. After millennia that failed to erase their traces, the descendants have come to brush away the dust of time — breathing life back into relics that now stand tall, telling the story of a glorious past.

The GEM today houses the largest conservation center in the world, spanning 32 feddans and comprising 18 state-of-the-art laboratories equipped with advanced technologies designed to return unearthed and transferred artifacts to their best possible condition — with meticulous scientific care, Dr. Eissa Zidan, executive director of the Grand Egyptian Museum’s conservation project, tells EnterpriseAM.

Every artifact embarks on a post-discovery journey guided by expert hands, he explains. From the moment it leaves the tomb where it was found, to its arrival at the Conservation Center, where restoration teams determine the procedures, materials, and techniques needed to bring it back to life.

“I held in my hands the world’s most iconic treasure — Tutankhamun’s golden mask — and watched it settle into its eternal throne inside the Grand Egyptian Museum,” he says. “That’s an experience that simply doesn’t happen twice in a lifetime.” Zidan describes the feeling of seeing the museum finally open as one of immense pride.

HOW RESTORATION WORKS

“Restoration is much like medical treatment,” Zidan notes. Each artifact is first studied scientifically, then given a tailored treatment plan before being sent to the specialized lab — whether for wood, stone, human remains, or large-scale statues.

The Conservation Center has so far restored 57k artifacts out of the 100k pieces housed at the museum — the largest restoration operation ever conducted in a single location, according to Zidan. The center itself is the largest of its kind in the Middle East, built 10 meters underground across 12.3k sqm, with museum storage extending over another 3.4k sqm.

Among the most significant undertakings was the Tutankhamun collection, the largest ever restored, which took two and a half years to complete.

The Khufu Solar Boats are another highlight: one vessel is already on display, while restoration work on the second is set to begin within days — allowing visitors to witness the process firsthand in a one-of-a-kind experience.

EXPORTING RESTORATION EXPERTISE

Egypt aims to become a regional hub for conservation science, exporting its expertise to the world through research, training, and academic partnerships, Zidan says. The GEM’s Conservation Center has already conducted training programs in Saudi Arabia — involving some 60 researchers on restoration, documentation, and museum display techniques — and similar programs in Oman.

Inside the museum, 126 conservators carry out all restoration work based on rigorous scientific standards, having received specialized training in Egypt, Japan, and the United States on advanced restoration technologies.

“Each artifact has its own nature,” Zidan notes. “Some take days to restore, others require months of delicate, patient work — always with tools that protect the authenticity of the piece and bring it back to life.”

All restoration is done by Egyptian hands, he stresses, with limited involvement from local companies for artifact transport due to the equipment needed — and always under full supervision from the museum’s conservation team.

Every exhibit at the GEM has undergone extensive restoration, including several unique galleries such as the Old Kingdom Hall. The hall features four reconstructed caves showcasing underwater antiquities and pieces from Deir el-Medina, the ancient workmen’s village in Luxor.

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