The Egyptologists’ Guide to the Grand Egyptian Museum

Standing over 30 feet tall and weighing 82 tons, the pink granite statue of King Ramses II, the third pharaoh of Egypt’s 19th Dynasty, serves as GEM’s dramatic entrance hall centerpiece.

Ramses II led campaigns across the Levant, concluding the world’s earliest known peace treaty. Originally unearthed at Mit Rahina (ancient Memphis) in 1820, the statue was a Cairo landmark for decades before its relocation from Ramses Square to the grounds of the GEM in 2006 in a highly publicized nighttime operation to protect it from the city’s pollution and traffic. In 2018, it made its final journey into the museum’s atrium, becoming the first major installment.

Built for Pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty, who commissioned the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Solar Boat is among the oldest vessels from antiquity on record. This full-size Lebanese cedar barque was sealed in a pit beside the Great Pyramid around 2500 BCE. Like other buried Egyptian boats, it was intended to carry the king’s spirit on his journey into the afterlife.

Hidden for over 4,000 years, it was rediscovered in 1954, when Egyptian archaeologists unearthed 1,224 wooden fragments, later painstakingly reassembled over years by master restorer Hag Ahmed Youssef Moustafa. It has been reported that the ship’s construction was so precise, it could theoretically still sail the Nile today.

Discovered in 1925 near the Great Pyramid, the tomb of Queen Hetepheres I, mother of Pharaoh Khufu, offers a glimpse into luxurious and royal life of the 4th Dynasty, known for its architectural marvels such as the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx.

Among the treasures uncovered was her headrest, crafted of wood, gold, and silver. In Ancient Egypt, headrests were essential for sleep in both life and death, designed to support the head, promote circulation in the heat, and in the afterlife, support the deceased during resurrection.

The discovered collection also contained an alabaster sarcophagus (found empty), a bed, carrying-chair, and jewelry box. Overshadowed by the global frenzy around Tutankhamun’s tomb, the discovery drew little attention at the time. Nearly a century later, the Hetepheres collection is known as a remarkable record of early dynastic sleep rituals.

Of the more than 5,000 objects from Tutankhamun’s tomb, the young king’s dagger has long captivated—and puzzled—researchers. The iron dagger, found strapped to the right thigh of King Tut, was made of iron at a time when smelting the metal was unknown.

Dating to the 14th century BCE, its composition—iron with nickel and trace cobalt—has led archeologists to conclude it came from a meteorite, earning it the name “iron from the sky” by Egyptians of the era, who likely recognized its extraordinary significance. The dagger’s craftsmanship and origin continue to intrigue scholars still trying to understand the production skills of the Ancient Egyptians.

Gilded with gold and inlaid with glass and semiprecious stones, Tutankhamun’s throne remains one of the most iconic symbols of ancient Egyptian design.

Discovered in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings, the throne shows the immense status and authority of the Egyptian crown. On its back panel, Tutankhamun is shown seated, with his wife, Ankhesenamun, reaching out to rub oil across his shoulder, a sign of the pharaoh’s tender and humanistic side while maintaining his godlike status. Dating to the late 18th Dynasty, the piece has become a defining image of the boy-king, whose brief reign endures as a symbol of how divine power was immortalized during the New Kingdom.

Dating back to the Late Period, this painted wooden tablet was made for the Montu priest Ankhefenkhonsu. The stele shows the priest presenting offerings to the solar god Ra-Horakhty, the syncretic form of deities Horus and Ra.

Millennia later, the object gained unlikely fame when the British occultist and magician Aleister Crowley encountered it at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo in 1904, claiming to receive a mystical revelation that would become the foundation of his modern religion Thelema.

This limestone relief shows Hades abducting Persephone, who is greeted by Anubis in a fascinating fusion of Greek and Egyptian mythology. The artifact reflects a period of religious syncretism, when Greek settlers in Egypt came to view deities such as Hades and Osiris as counterparts, interpreting the foreign gods through familiar stories and attributes.

This merging of belief systems developed through periods of contact between the two ancient nations, with this plaque offering a glimpse into how shared religious beliefs led to the development of a hybrid iconography.

This wig stand is carved in the shape of a woman’s head with large earrings. The artifact offers a window into the cosmetic practices of the time, where wigs played a significant role in culture and identity.

Wigs, worn across social classes and genders, were also strong indicators of a person’s class, age, and authority. For example, wigs made of human hair were typically worn by the elite. While much of what is known about hair comes from burial practices, this stand reveals their significance in daily life and personal expression.

In ancient Egypt, masks were both protective and symbolic, helping the soul recognize its body in the afterlife. This gold funerary mask belonged to Hekaemsaf, Overseer of the Royal Boats under Pharaoh Amasis II from the 26th Dynasty, otherwise called the Late Period.

The mask consists of a hammered gold sheet, with eyes crafted from feldspar, obsidian pupils, and eyelids and eyebrows made of lapis lazuli, set to suggest a lifelike appearance while signaling both divine protection as well as the wearer’s rank.

This red-granite triad, dating to the 19th Dynasty (ca. 1279–1213 BCE), depicts Ramesses II between Ptah, creator god of Memphis, and Sekhmet, the lioness goddess of war and healing. Originally found in the Great Temple of Ptah at Heracleopolis Magna (modern-day Ihnasya el-Medina), the statue shows the king literally framed by divine power. By positioning Ramesses between Ptah and Sekhmet, the sculpture visually conveys that he is both protected by and in partnership with the gods, reinforcing his authority.

Now displayed on the museum’s grand staircase, it emphasizes the pharaoh’s role in upholding Ma’at—the principle of cosmic order, balance, and harmony.

This painted wooden statuette from the Old Kingdom depicts two female servants straining mash into large jars in order to brew beer. The model offers a window into Ancient Egyptian society, where beer was a staple across social classes.

Beer was brewed each day due to its short shelf life, establishing it as an important part of daily routines—intended for enjoyment as well as calories and hydration. Workers on state projects, including pyramid builders, were even compensated with rations of beer throughout the day. Discovered in the tomb of Niankhpepikem as part of his grave goods, the statuette suggests beer was so valued that it was included in tombs for enjoyment in the afterlife.

Seated on a throne, Pharaoh Khafre from the Fourth Dynasty gazes forward as the falcon god Horus shelters his head. He wears a nemes headdress, only worn by royalty. Lotus and papyrus motifs—the Sema Tawy symbol of unity— are shown on his throne, symbolizing the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. Remarkably, the statue was carved from anorthosite gneiss, an especially adamantine green stone found only in a remote part of the Sahara Desert.

This ka statue was created to house Khafre’s ka, or “life force.” In ancient belief, the ka needed a physical home; if the mummy was damaged, the ka statue served as a substitute.

These gold-covered figurines, dating to the Naqada IIIB period (ca. 3350–2920 BCE), are considered the oldest known depictions of Ancient Egyptian rulers at over 5,000 years old. Originally made over a wooden core, they are known for their signature piercing eyes outlined in lapis lazuli, giving them a fierce stare.

The lapis lazuli was highly valued and imported from as far away as what is now Afghanistan. The taller figure stands at nearly 2 feet, the smaller at around 12 inches, suggesting a ruler and heir. The materials reveal the trade networks, wealth, and status of Delta elites.

This statue depicts Pharaoh Menkaure, builder of the smallest of the Giza pyramids. Created during the Fourth Dynasty, he is shown with large hands, long legs, large feet, and a strong, muscular body—an idealized form during the era.

The statue was placed in his valley temple, which was never completed, alongside other statues intended for the site.

This striking statue depicts Horus, a god in the form of a falcon, crowned with a large golden sun disk. Likely hidden by temple priests to protect it from thieves, the piece was part of the Dendera treasure hoard—a remarkable cache of statuettes, jewelry, ritual instruments, and mirrors discovered in the early 20th century within and around the Dendera Temple.

The statue is now displayed alongside other finds from the discovery.