Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy announced on Monday that the state, represented by various bodies, will never stop demanding the return of its antiquities abroad – particularly the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum in London and the bust of Queen Nefertiti in the Berlin Museum in Germany.
Fathy explained, during the launch of the first online platform for tourism and antiquities training in Egypt, that many measures are being taken in this longstanding issue, which have been criticized by citizens despite being commong practice in museums globally.
“What will visitors do when they will have to wait two hours to see Tutankhamun at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) after the official opening?”
Fathy noted ticket prices for the Grand Egyptian Museum were determined based on numerous studies, and that museum visits should be proportionate between Egyptian and foreign visitors.
There are discounts for multiple categories, he added, in addition to free entry for other categories, such as daily school trips.
Fathy added that ticket prices are comparable to other products, and that the gap between ticket prices for Egyptians and foreigners will not be too great.
With the official opening of GEM, he noted that visitors will not be able to enter at their preferred times due to the large turnout.
