Latest news with #GrandEgyptianMuseum
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
‘Egypt Is Calling': A social media trend sparks a new wave of global wanderlust - Tourism
From airport gates to iconic destinations across Egypt, a social media trend—'#EgyptIsCalling'— draws travellers worldwide. The trend ranked 4th worldwide on Twitter in the past hours. The phrase 'Egypt is calling' has become the signal flare of a full-blown travel trend, now dominating TikTok and Instagram feeds worldwide. It began in late April 2025, when international travellers posted joyful clips from departure lounges—dancing with passports in hand or filming rain-speckled airplane windows—tagging them with '#EgyptIsCalling.' Since then, the phrase has appeared in thousands of videos, becoming a recognizable tag among young travellers sharing their journeys across Egypt. Similar 'calling' trends are bubbling up worldwide, with hashtags such as 'Vietnam is calling,' 'Spain is calling,' and 'Japan is calling' showing up across TikTok and Instagram. '#EgyptIsCalling' climbs to number 4 on Twitter's global trending list, signaling the trend's worldwide momentum. From boarding gates to bucket lists These videos often feature travellers filming themselves mid-transit, just before boarding or upon arrival in Egypt, with upbeat music in the background. The outcome is a stream of short, vibrant clips that feel like open invitations—intimate, visually striking, and made to be shared. Once the travellers touch down, the content shifts to sweeping desert dunes, dives into Red Sea coral reefs, and dramatic shots of the Giza Pyramids. The clips also capture the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), spice-filled Cairo markets, and starlit desert safaris. Viral, organic & borderless Unlike conventional tourism campaigns that governments launch or employ celebrities, this movement grew from the ground up. 'EgyptIsCalling' has no official sponsor and is not a brand. Instead, it is powered by spontaneous traveller enthusiasm and the algorithmic magic of TikTok. What sets this trend apart is how the videos capture the traveller's anticipation and excitement before showcasing where they are going. A familiar echo Lebanese celebrity chef Abir El Saghir joins the 'Habibi, come to Egypt' trend, sharing it with her 29.6 million TikTok followers. Before '#EgyptIsCalling,' a similar viral phrase—'Habibi, come to Egypt'—made waves on TikTok and Instagram. The trend gained traction primarily in 2023. It featured upbeat clips of travellers and celebrities exploring Egypt's landmarks, often set to catchy audio and humorous voiceovers. Like its successor, 'Habibi, come to Egypt' blended wanderlust with viral energy, pushing Egypt further into the digital spotlight. What's on camera? Tourists answer the call — TikTok users join the viral '#EgyptIsCalling' trend. The trend isn't just a sightseeing checklist—it is a digital reflection of how travellers are experiencing Egypt through their lenses. The trend reveals a wide range of visually striking clips—from pyramid reveals at the Giza Plateau and golden-hour Nile River cruises near Luxor and Aswan, to vibrant scenes in Cairo's Khan El-Khalili bazaar, underwater shots off Sharm El-Sheikh and Dahab, and starlit desert camps in places like Siwa. For Gen Z and millennial travelers, Egypt is a place that speaks to them, literally and virally. So, if you hear 'Egypt is calling' on your feed, don't ignore it. The pyramids might just be dialing you next. Tourism surge Egypt's tourism stats tell the same story: the world is coming. In the first quarter of 2025, arrivals hit 3.9 million, a massive 25 percent jump year-on-year. Meanwhile, 15.7 million tourists visited Egypt in 2024. The number, unprecedented in the history of Egyptian tourism, marks a 6 percent increase over the previous year. The government aims to draw 30 million tourists by 2030, backed by expanded airport, hotel, and airline infrastructure. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
7 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Serbian PM visits Egypt's key archaeological and religious sites - Ancient Egypt
During his official visit to Egypt, Serbian Prime Minister Djuro Matsut toured several of the country's prominent archaeological and religious landmarks, accompanied by a delegation that included Serbian ministers and members of parliament. Matsut visited the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), the Giza Pyramids, and Saint Catherine's Monastery in South Sinai. At the GEM, he toured architectural features such as the Atrium and Grand Staircase and viewed artefacts representing ancient Egyptian civilization. The visit to the NMEC included the main hall, the royal mummies gallery, and the Egyptian textiles exhibition. The delegation continued to the Giza Plateau, where Matsut entered the Great Pyramid and explored the site, learning about the pyramids and Sphinx's architectural and cultural significance. The tour also included Saint Catherine's Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries. The Prime Minister visited the Church of the Transfiguration, the Fatimid-era mosque, and the monastery's library, which houses rare manuscripts, including Serbian texts linked to Saint Sava, an essential figure in Serbian history, highlighting the historical connections between Egypt and Serbia. The visit formed part of broader diplomatic and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
7 days ago
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Delays to the GEM
The long-anticipated official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum has been postponed to later this year Despite its near completion and its having already hosted several high-profile events after its soft opening to the public in 2023, the official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), originally scheduled for 3 July, has been postponed in the wake of current regional developments until late in 2025. Across more than two decades and since its foundation stone was laid in 2002, the GEM's completion and official opening have been hindered by an epidemic, financial crises, political upheavals, and, lately, regional instability. Plans for the GEM were first unveiled in 1992, when a site was allocated just 2 km from the iconic Giza Pyramids for what would become one of the most ambitious cultural projects in Egypt's modern history. In 2002, the foundation stone for the GEM project was laid on a prime site overlooking the Pyramids of Giza. That same year, the Egyptian state working with the UN cultural agency UNESCO and the International Union of Architects announced an international architectural competition for the best museum design for the GEM. The winning proposal came from the Irish architectural firm Heneghan Peng Architects. Between 2005 and 2010, the site was prepared, and a high-tech conservation centre was built, funded by the Egyptian government. However, following the 2011 Revolution work on the project came to a halt. Construction officially began again in 2012 after a joint venture between Egypt's Orascom Construction Industries and the Belgium BESIX Group was awarded the contract for completion of the GEM's third phase, which included the construction of the museum's main building and landscaping. In 2014, the project was resumed with the help of a $300 million soft loan provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In 2015, the concrete shell of the main building was completed. At the time, the target opening date was 2018, but a series of political and economic challenges caused repeated delays, pushing back the long-awaited inauguration and the construction slowed down. By 2016, only 20 per cent of the museum had been completed. Another $460 soft loan agreement was then signed between the JICA and the ministries of antiquities and international cooperation to complete the GEM construction work within the scheduled time. Progress surged, bringing the museum to approximately 95 per cent completion, but the official opening, scheduled in 2020, was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Work continued and the museum saw a soft opening in 2023. Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli said that the present circumstances in the region called for reconsidering the inauguration's timing to preserve the efforts required to deliver the event at the most opportune moment. He stressed that the upcoming opening would be a historic and pivotal event for Egypt and the world and therefore must take place under ideal conditions. In an official statement, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities emphasised that the postponement aligns with Egypt's national responsibility to present an event of global stature and one that reflects the grandeur of ancient Egyptian civilisation and showcases the country's heritage to the world in a manner befitting its international standing. Despite the delay, the GEM will remain open to visitors as part of its ongoing soft opening phase. The museum has already begun welcoming guests to selected exhibitions, offering a preview of what will become the world's largest archaeological museum dedicated to a single civilisation. Built on 500,000 square metres, the GEM, with its trapezoidal architectural design and distinguished external walls, offers an enormous panoramic view of the Giza Plateau. It houses objects from ancient Egypt, beginning with prehistory and going up to the early Roman period. Among the objects on display will be the unique treasures of the boy king Tutankhamun, some of which will see the light of day for the first time. The museum's main galleries offer visitors an unprecedented journey through ancient Egyptian civilisation. With 12 galleries organised into four broad time periods and three thematic pillars of Society, Kingship, and Beliefs, visitors are invited to explore Egyptian history in multiple ways. The star of the museum will be the Tutankhamun galleries, which will put on show the whole funerary collection of the golden boy-king that consists of 5,537 artefacts. The Khufu Boats Museum is another attraction of the GEM. Recognised as one of the world's foremost specialised museums, it houses two rare and invaluable artefacts: the first and second boats of King Khufu. For the first time in history, both royal boats will be showcased side by side within a single exhibition space. The first boat has already been carefully transported from its original location near the Great Pyramid of Giza to the museum, where it has undergone meticulous conservation and preparation in accordance with the highest international museological standards. The second boat, discovered adjacent to the Great Pyramid, has had all its wooden planks and components successfully extracted. Following an initial phase of restoration, the pieces were transferred to the GEM, where conservation work continues in close collaboration with Japanese experts. Visitors will be able to witness the reassembly process in real time, as the boat's components are gradually restored and reassembled before their eyes in a distinctive interactive exhibition that brings ancient craftsmanship to life. Both the Tutankhamun galleries and the Khufu Boats Museum were to be opened following the official inauguration and are not currently accessible. * A version of this article appears in print in the 19 June, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
See - Sada Elbalad
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Serbia's PM Visits GEM, NMEC & Pyramids
Ali abodeshish Dr. Đuro Macut, Prime Minister of Serbia, visited the Grand Egyptian Museum, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, and the Giza Pyramids, accompanied by a high-level delegation including several ministers and members of the Serbian Parliament. At the Grand Egyptian Museum, they were received by Dr. Ahmed Ghoneim, CEO of the Grand Egyptian Museum Authority, who welcomed the delegation. He introduced the museum's history and structure, in addition to its most valuable artifacts. The Serbian Prime Minister and his delegation toured the museum including main exhibition halls, where they received detailed illustrations about the exhibits and the significance of the museum's unique collection. At the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, they were welcomed by Dr. Al-Tayeb Abbas, CEO of the museum, who gave an overview of the museum's unique location, its history, and its exceptional archaeological collections that narrate the story of Egyptian civilization across the ages. He also presented the museum's cultural and social role, and accompanied them on a tour of the main Exhibition Hall, the Royal Mummies Hall, and the Egyptian Textile Hall. The Serbian Prime Minister and his delegation also visited the Giza Pyramids area, where they were welcomed by Mr. Ashraf Mohie El-Din, Director General of Giza Antiquities. He guided them through the archaeological site, including a visit to the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx, during which they met the story of the Pyramids construction. During these visits, the Serbian Prime Minister and his accompanying delegation were keen to take photos at the museums and archaeological sites. They expressed their deep admiration for the artifacts and unique collections they saw, which reflect the greatness of ancient Egyptian civilization and the uniqueness of Egypt's museums. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean News 3 Killed in Shooting Attack in Thailand
Watani
19-06-2025
- Business
- Watani
Official opening of Grand Egyptian Museum postponed
The official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the world's largest museum for Egyptian antiquities, has been postponed to the last quarter of the year 2025, Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced in a press release posted on on its website and Facebook page. The grand opening had been scheduled for 3 July 2025. The decision to postpone the official opening was taken In light of the current regional developments, the press release explained. It said that a new date for the official opening would be set and announced in due course, following coordination with all relevant authorities. The objective is to ensure the organisation of an event that reflects Egypt's prominent cultural and tourism status on the international stage. 'This decision,' the press release read, 'also stems from Egypt's national responsibility and its commitment to present a truly exceptional global event in a climate worthy of the grandeur of Egypt's civilisation and unique heritage, and in a way that ensures broad international participation aligned with the significance of the occasion. 'The Grand Egyptian Museum will continue to welcome visitors as part of its soft opening phase until the newly scheduled date for the official inauguration later this year.' Watani International 16 June 2025 Comments comments Tags: Grand Egyptian Museum opening postponedSanaa' Farouk
