• An archaeologist brushes an artefact at one of the Grand Egyptian Museum's restoration labs.
    An archaeologist brushes an artefact at one of the Grand Egyptian Museum's restoration labs.
  • An Egyptian conservator cleans a limestone, in the conservation centre of Egypt’s Grand museum under construction, just outside of Cairo. Amr Nabil / AP Photo
    An Egyptian conservator cleans a limestone, in the conservation centre of Egypt’s Grand museum under construction, just outside of Cairo. Amr Nabil / AP Photo
  • Egyptian archaeological restoration technicians work on an ancient Egyptian mummy at the restoration lab of the new Grand Egyptian Museum. Khaled Elfiqi / EPA
    Egyptian archaeological restoration technicians work on an ancient Egyptian mummy at the restoration lab of the new Grand Egyptian Museum. Khaled Elfiqi / EPA
  • Egyptian archaeological restoration technicians work on wooden pieces at the restoration lab. Khaled Elfiqi / EPA
    Egyptian archaeological restoration technicians work on wooden pieces at the restoration lab. Khaled Elfiqi / EPA
  • An Egyptian archaeological restoration technician works on a limestone board marked with hieroglyphs. Khaled Elifiqi / EPA
    An Egyptian archaeological restoration technician works on a limestone board marked with hieroglyphs. Khaled Elifiqi / EPA
  • Egyptians workers review a blueprint next to the construction site of the Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza. Khaled Elifiqi / EPA
    Egyptians workers review a blueprint next to the construction site of the Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza. Khaled Elifiqi / EPA
  • An Egyptian worker looks at the construction site of the Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza, Egypt. Khaled Elifiqi / EPA
    An Egyptian worker looks at the construction site of the Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza, Egypt. Khaled Elifiqi / EPA
  • An Egyptian construction worker works at the construction site of Egypt’s Grand Museum, just outside of Cairo. Amr Nabil / AP
    An Egyptian construction worker works at the construction site of Egypt’s Grand Museum, just outside of Cairo. Amr Nabil / AP
  • Egyptian conservationists clean a female mummy dated to Pharaonic late period, (712-323 BC), in the conservation centre of Egypt's Grand Museum, that's currently under construction. Amr Nabil / AP
    Egyptian conservationists clean a female mummy dated to Pharaonic late period, (712-323 BC), in the conservation centre of Egypt's Grand Museum, that's currently under construction. Amr Nabil / AP
  • An Egyptian archeological restoration technician works on a limestone board marked with hieroglyphics. Khaled Elfiqi / EPA
    An Egyptian archeological restoration technician works on a limestone board marked with hieroglyphics. Khaled Elfiqi / EPA

World

In pictures: Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza construction

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Egypt’s antiquities minister says construction is under way on the main hall of a massive new museum by the Pyramids, the final phase of a complex that’s intended to house 100,000 ancient artefacts including King Tutankhamun’s mummy.

Minister Mohammed Ibrahim and the country’s international cooperation minister toured the 120-acre site on Monday.

Authorities are seeking to revive Egypt’s battered tourism industry after three years of turmoil.

The museum, first conceived in 2002, was supposed to open in 2012. But Hideki Matsunaga, the chief representative of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency that is partially bankrolling the project, said the opening is now expected by the fall of 2015 and may face some delay.

Mr Matsunaga said the agency is providing approximately US$350 million in soft loans to finance the US$800 million project.

* Associated Press

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