Imagine stepping into a new museum. You’re greeted by a huge statue of Ramses II. He was one of the most powerful rulers of ancient Egypt. Next you walk through rooms filled with giant wooden boats and sparkling gemstones. Then you come face-to-face with one of the most famous artifacts in the world. It’s the gold mask of King Tutankhamen (too-tahn-KAH-muhn). He’s better known as King Tut.

Welcome to the Grand Egyptian Museum. It opened last year in Egypt, a country in Africa. It’s the world’s largest museum focused on one civilization.

Imagine you are in a new museum. You see a huge statue of Ramses II. He was one of the most powerful rulers of ancient Egypt. Next you walk through some rooms. They’re filled with giant boats and sparkling gems. Then you come face-to-face with one of the world’s most famous artifacts. It’s the gold mask of King Tutankhamen (tootahn-KAH-muhn). He’s also called King Tut.

Welcome to the Grand Egyptian Museum. It opened last year in Egypt, a country in Africa. It’s the world’s largest museum focused on one civilization.

One collection is creating the biggest buzz: the King Tut exhibit. Tut is often called the Boy King. He became the pharaoh of Egypt about 3,400 years ago. He was just 8 or 9 years old at the time. Tut died about a decade later.

Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. They preserved the bodies of their rulers as mummies. Pharaohs were buried with their belongings so they could use them in the afterlife. Tut was buried with his jewels, clothes, games, and other items.

Tut’s tomb was discovered in 1922. British scientist Howard Carter found it in a royal burial ground called the Valley of the Kings. Carter’s team spent 10 years carefully removing every item.

Today only Tut’s mummy remains in his tomb. Everything else is at the Grand Egyptian Museum. More than 5,500 items from Tut’s tomb are on display together for the first time.

Ikram says the museum is packed with history. Visitors can explore what interests them most—from kings to the lives of ordinary Egyptians.

“That’s what a museum visit should be, a personal journey of discovery,” Ikram explains.

One collection is creating the biggest buzz. It’s the King Tut exhibit. Tut is often called the Boy King. He became the pharaoh of Egypt about 3,400 years ago. He was just 8 or 9 years old then. Tut died about a decade later.

Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. They preserved the bodies of their rulers as mummies. Pharaohs were buried with their things. This way, they could use them in the afterlife. Tut was buried with many items. These include his jewels, clothes, and games.

Tut’s tomb was found in 1922. British scientist Howard Carter found it in the Valley of the Kings. That’s a royal burial ground. Carter’s team spent 10 years taking out every item.

Today only Tut’s mummy is left in his tomb. Everything else is at the Grand Egyptian Museum. More than 5,500 items from the tomb are displayed. It’s the first time they’re shown together.

Ikram says the museum is filled with history. Visitors can see what interests them most. That includes everything from kings to the lives of everyday people.

“That’s what a museum visit should be, a personal journey of discovery,” Ikram says.