Good morning, friends, and welcome to the second edition of our special series, Unveiling the GEM. After 20 years, the Grand Egyptian Museum has finally opened its doors, the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization. And not just any civilization, but ancient Egypt.

Following Saturday’s grand opening, the museum reopened yesterday, welcoming 20k visitors, both foreign and Egyptian — a sharp increase from the average 400 visitors during the soft-opening period. Thousands flocked to see King Tutankhamun’s gallery, where his full collection was displayed in its entirety for the first time.

In today’s issue, we revisit the opening ceremony, explore the surge in tourism Egypt is witnessing in the wake of the launch, take a closer look at the museum’s restoration efforts, and offer a visitor’s guide to help you plan your next trip to the GEM.

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