The Grand Egyptian Museum is located 2km north of the Great Pyramids of Giza.
"In the entrance hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), there's this gigantic statue of Ramses II. It's the largest standing statue of an ancient Egyptian king on Earth, and it's on a base surrounded by water in the shape of a pyramid," Ibrahim Morgan tells OkayAfrica. He chuckles. "Many guests are mesmerized and drawn by the statue's beauty, so they don't focus. They keep walking towards it and end up falling into the water."
Morgan is an Egyptologist and tour guide with 29 years of experience. Eighteen months ago, he started working for GEM, the world's largest archaeological museum complex, home to more than 100,000 artifacts.
GEM's foundation was laid two kilometers north of the Great Pyramids of Giza in 2002. Its construction began in 2005, but the Arab Spring, political turmoil, and financial setbacks repeatedly stopped the works. On July 3, 2025, it will finally open its doors to the public.
Some people have already had the chance to visit this architectural masterpiece and its thoughtfully curated galleries during its trial phase. In segments edited for length and clarity, Morgan tells OkayAfrica about the great honor and pride he feels working at GEM.
"The facade of the museum has the names of the 25 most famous Egyptian kings and queens." - Ibrahim Morgan
Photo by Ibrahim Morgan
Morgan: "Studying Egyptology has been a dream of mine since I was a child. I was born in a small town in Upper Egypt, in the Sohag governorate. My dad would always take me to old sites, like churches and monasteries, in our town and the nearby provinces. It was awesome to feel such a connection to this ancient civilization as someone with deep Egyptian roots through my family lineage. These were my forefathers who left such a great civilization, and we have a personal link.
In sixth grade, my mom, a teacher, started teaching me English. I wanted to use my love for learning languages to tell the world about the greatness of my forefathers and the history and antiquities they left behind for us. The only way to come in contact with tourists is through studying Egyptology, archaeology, history, and foreign languages at university. Then, you can get a license to become a tour guide. You have to have two licenses from the Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism and join the Tour Guides Union or Syndicate so that you can work legally.
Upon learning about this, I applied to the University of Alexandria with the highest marks. This meant I had to leave my small town and go to the big city for the first time. I knew nothing; I'd never been to Cairo or Alexandria. At 18, it was a big cultural shock for me. I went to public school in my town, but everyone who studied with me [in Alexandria] came from private schools, so there was a huge difference. I had to lose my thick Upper Egyptian accent; I came a long way.
"GEM is the only museum with a grand staircase with 60 masterpieces on display. They are organized into different themes, kings and kingship, divine houses, and the relationship between Egyptian gods and kings and queens. Everything has been thought about in an excellent way." - Ibrahim Morgan
Photo by Ibrahim Morgan
I have visited the Pyramids of Giza 8,104 times. I keep a record because it's the only existing [ancient] world wonder. It has magic. Every time I go, it's as if it's my first time. If you have this love in your heart for ancient sites, you don't exert effort to keep it interesting.
Listen to Ibrahim Morgan
Tour guide Ibrahim Morgan stands next to the statue of Ramses II in GEM's atrium. In this clip he talks about the positive feedback he gets from guests who have been part of his tours, their impression of Egypt and the kindness of Egyptians.
A vitrine with ancient artifacts, like the eye of Horus and a small monkey, and the reflection of an ancient statue.
Photo by Amuna Wagner
The physical aspect of being a tour guide is demanding, plus the heat. GEM is a new concept. It's clean, secure, air-conditioned, and has a hospitality team. There are cafes, restaurants with local food, and shops with local crafts. I wear a uniform with beige pants, a white shirt with the logo, and a blazer, and I feel proud. I can speak through a microphone instead of yelling. My team is highly educated; they speak German, French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and even Hebrew. We're paid very good money and looked after.
We have standardized, guided tours that typically last around 90 minutes, but each guide adds their own touch and storytelling. I answer the common questions first: What's so unique about GEM? I explain that it has the only hanging obelisk on Earth and the largest standing statue of an Egyptian king, Ramses II, which was broken into six pieces until Gamal Abdel Nasser asked a German company to restore it.
There is a false assumption that Egyptians don't care about their heritage. Most Egyptians love their heritage and feel proud to be Egyptian. I became more aware of this when I started working at GEM, where we do Arabic tours. When I showed locals around, they would say, 'We need to protect these antiquities, and we would like to have the antiquities that were taken away from Egypt back.'
The Egyptian Ministry of Education recently started teaching more about Egyptian history and antiquities in schools. And what's so impressive is that they began to teach the ancient Egyptian language in schools for the first time in the history of Egypt.
GEM is Egypt's and Africa's gift to the world. I advise anyone to come and visit; they will be amazed. I've been to the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, but GEM is the best museum in the world. It's truly a gem. Every human should be proud."
If you would like to book a tour with Ibrahim Morgan, contact him through his Facebook page.
