Grand Egypt Museum showcasing glory of the pharaohs finally opens

Tourists view the statue of Pharaoh Ramses II at the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza (Amr Nabil/AP)

In an extravaganza of pharaonic imagery with a drone light show depicting ancient gods and pyramids in the sky, Egypt inaugurated its long-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum, a megaproject aiming to give the country’s millennia-old heritage a rich, modern display.

Two decades in the making, the museum located near the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx is the centrepiece of the government’s bid to boost Egypt’s tourism industry and bring cash into the troubled economy.