This Thursday 25 January 2018, the colossus of Ramses II made his solemn entry into the great hall of the museum. Its central location will make it the first thing any visitor will see upon arrival.
The transfer of the colossus was done using special cranes and a special conveyor system, able to move the 82 tons of this impressive witness of centuries of History. Many reporters and officials attended this unusual procession - including our CEO who sent us this photo taken on the spot!
History fans will know that the discovery of this statue dates back from 1820, that it was then displayed for decades in downtown Cairo on Ramses Square before being transferred to the current museum in 2006. Today, it is the first artefact to be transferred to the future Grand Egyptian Museum on more than 150,000 objects intended to be exhibited.
The museum will contain rare artefacts, including treasures from Tutankhamun's Pharaoh, which will be exhibited for the first time to the public.
With our partner Orascom, we are proud to participate to this colossal adventure. Congratulations to the teams contributing to this major project.
On the picture below, you can see the solid foundations on which the statue will rest in the future main hall.