Grand Egyptian Museum receives 346 artefacts including 10 statues of King Senusret I

CAIRO – 19 May 2020: The Grand Egyptian Museum received a collection of 346 artefacts from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, the most important of which are the ten statues of King Senusret I.



General Supervisor of the Grand Egyptian Museum and its surrounding area Atef Moftah confirmed that the statues of King Senusert I were put in the grand foyer, in preparation for placing them at their permanent place in the museum.




Director General of Antiquities Affairs at the Grand Egyptian Museum Tayeb Abbas explained that the statues of King Senusert I had been unearthed in 1894 at a crater in the funerary temple of King Senusert I.




The statues are made of limestone and were transferred to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir in 1895. The statues depict young King Senusert I sitting on the throne.

Abbas added that one of the most important pieces that GEM received today is the seven oils rectangular plate that was used in burial rituals.
The plate has inscriptions in black and seven oval-shaped holes, in addition to an offerings table made of limestone; on this table, there are three cartridges of kings of Sneferu, Djedefre and Khufu.

Director of the Department of Restoring and Transferring Antiquities at the Grand Egyptian Museum Eissa Zidan said that the transportation team was keen on documenting, packaging and securing the pieces using internationally recognized scientific methods.

He indicated that the transferred artefacts were scientifically documented and the team prepared a case report for each statue in addition to packaging each statue separately inside an L-shaped box lined with reinforced foam, supporting it with straps to prevent any damage that may occur during the transfer process.

Zidan added that a statue of Akhethotep that has a layer of coloured plaster was also moved in addition to another statue of wood for a lady from the old kingdom.

The wooden sculptures were placed in the wood factory in preparation for the restoration and maintenance work before display when the museum opens.




On October 19 ministry of antiquities announced the discovery of the largest cache in the cemetery of El-Assasif by the Egyptian archaeological mission.

A total of 30 coffins spanning back to the 22nd Pharaonic Dynasty were discovered and placed in a warehouse to protect them from thievery.

The 30 archaeological coffins have been transferred to the Grand Egyptian Museum.

The cache was buried one meter from the surface of the ground. The first row consisted of 18 coffins and the second consisted of 12 coffins for men, women, and 3 children.

For the first time GEM will display Tutankhmaum treasures in one place. The total number of antiquities belonging to King Tutankhamen is 5398. Among king Tut’s artefacts that was transferred is his coffin.

The transferred coffin is one of the three coffins of Tutankhmaum, portraying the golden king as God Osiris. The coffin was discovered in King Tut’s burial chamber in 1922. The outer ark is made of gilded wood.

The hands are clipped with gold foil, crossed across the chest, while holding royal decals inlaid with blue and red glass beads. It is 223.5 cm in length, 86.8 cm in diameter, while its height is 105.5 cm. The ark contains silver handles on both sides that were used to move the lid.



Minister of Antiquities announced that 50000 artifacts will be displayed in the Grand Egyptian Museum.

The Grand Egyptian Museum will be the largest museum in the world dedicated to one civilization only; the dazzling ancient Egyptian civilization.


GEM will include a children's museum, an educational center, a handicraft center, educational classes and a museum dedicated to sun boats, in addition to the first field for a hanging obelisk.



The Grand Egyptian Museum will turn Egypt to a main worldwide hub for Pharonic artifacts and a must-visit place for both tourists and Egyptologists.

This great museum is tailor made to benefit from the diversity of Egypt's monuments and artifacts to be displayed in one place and one location to maintain and preserve this one of a kind heritage.


GEM site is only 2km from the Giza Pyramids, located between the ancient Great Pyramids and the modern city of Cairo, at the junction between dry desert and the fertile floodplain, the Grand Museum is a portal to the past.

The Giza Pyramids and its Necropolis nominated by UNESCO among the world Cultural Heritage Sites as it houses unique monuments from the dazzling Egyptian civilization.

The Grand Egyptian Museum complex is built on a plot of land of approximately 117 feddans, about 480,000 square meters.

GEM opening will be attended by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi as well as kings, princes, presidents, heads of international organizations, and senior officials from all around the world.