2025 Egypt Dispatch Part 1 – The Inauguration and GEM Restoration

The Temple of Amun

Back in Egypt, it is time for Part I of our annual Egypt Dispatch. Returning here with my extended family is always special but the timing of this year’s adventure is quite auspicious, with the inauguration of the GEM. While I’ve visited the new museum for years, seeing the Tut exhibit and solar boat finally move, and all the new exhibits on display, I was both relieved and excited.

It was earlier that day that a photo popped up on my feed. It was a picture of Tahrir Square from 2010, and modern day that I shared back in 2021 when the royal parade took place. Looking back 15 years later, one has to marvel at how far Egypt has come. From a dark period, Egypt rose to a time with the largest collection of antiquities in the world, the focus of global attention, the subject of countless documentaries on every streaming platform, and a genuine buzz like I have never seen before. Egypt is truly at the center of the universe, where it belongs. I remember seeing this group of advisor partners chuckle when I told them we’d visit the pyramids first thing in the morning “to get them out of the way”. They didn’t know what that meant until we arrived at the GEM (Grand Egyptian Museum). Now the GEM visit visuals are in the video accompanying this blog, however what cannot be shown is what is the most important.

Before entering the GEM, we surprised the group with a private visit to an area of the museum not open to the public. After a video blackout was enforced, we entered a sterile, hospital-like hallway and passed through two large laboratory doors. There she was, a mummy from the 2018 discovery at the Amun temple in Luxor. Her face, turned slightly to the side and unwrapped, revealed the jewelry she wore and the terrified expression that was likely her last before mummification. Linked to the era of Amenhotep and dated between 1543 and 1292 B.C., she was in the process of restoration and prepped for her eventual display (remember the name Amenhotep for Dispatch II).

Experiences like this are part of our ongoing commitment to support local archaeologists and excavators who work quietly behind the scenes. Since 2023, we’ve made it our mission to help ensure they receive the recognition and resources their work deserves, as part of our sustainable pledge to Egypt.

Enjoy the video and stay tuned for Part II