International Implications of the Grand Egyptian Museum: The Diplomatic Role of Museums and What Does This Mean for Egyptian Artifacts World-Wide
About the Grand Egypt Museum – Background and Timeline
The Grand Egyptian Museum is a national and archaeological museum in Giza. It is the largest museum to cover a single civilization, the Egyptian civilization, in the world. It houses over 50,000 artifacts from as early as the Predynastic Period (5000-3000 BCE) to the Coptic Period (201-900 CE). Among these artefacts are treasures from Tutankhamun’s tomb and the Solar Boat of Khufu.
In 1992, Hosni Mubarak, the President of Egypt at the time, announced plans for a new largescale museum to bring together Egypt’s ancient artifacts in a more suitable environment. The idea for the Grand Egyptian Museum emerged from longstanding concerns that the older Egyptian Museum in downtown Cairo was no longer adequate for Egypt’s archaeological holdings. The facility was becoming crowded and not optimized for modern museum standards of conservation and presentation. The chosen site lies on the Giza Plateau, very close to the famed Pyramids of Giza, allowing an ambitious architectural concept that connects modern museum design with the landscape of ancient Egypt.
The museum was scheduled to open on July 3rd, 2025, but this was postponed until Novmeber, 2025. The museum had a “soft opening” in October of 2024, but key exhibits are still not open to the public.
Museums as a Diplomatic Tool
Diplomacy is the art of managing people and international relations in both a sensitive and effective way. Museums play an important role in the diplomatic sphere, functioning as cultural stewards. Through their culture, countries signal their values to the rest of the world.
The Grand Egyptian Museum positions Egypt not only as the origin of a major ancient civilization but as a contemporary actor in global cultural networks. By assembling the biggest number of artefacts of a single civilization, the museum signals that Egypt is a custodian of not just its own heritage, but of world heritage as well. The Grand Egyptian Museum is not just a museum, but a venue for international cultural exchange, research collaborations, and global events, helping Egypt to reshape its engagement on the international stage.
What Does this Mean for Ancient Egyptian Artifacts?
Around the world, in museums like the Louvre and the British Museum, there are collections of Ancient Egyptian artifacts. A frequent debate within the world of archaeology and museums is what belongs to who, and how is that decided. Although this might seem simple and straight forward to some, it is an immensely complicated topic.
The British Museum and the Rosetta Stone
Many people have heard of the British Museum for a multitude of reasons, including its vast and diverse collection of artifacts. However, the British museum is particularly famous for its not-so-ethical methods of obtaining many of these objects, such as the Elgin marbles. One reason the British Museum has been able to justify holding onto objects such as these is for conservation purposes. Many countries do not yet have the correct facilities to ensure the preservation of these artifacts, while the British Museum does. Egypt was one of these places that did not yet have adequate methods for preserving the multitudes of artefacts; however, with the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, Egypt now has the suitable technology. This has caused many to call for the return of many ancient Egyptian artifacts, including the Rosetta Stone.
What is the Rosetta Stone?
The Rosetta Stone dates to the Ptolemaic period in 196 BCE and is a stone copy of a decree issued on behalf of King Ptolemy V. Stone copies of this decree were erected all across Egypt, so at the time the Rosetta Stone was not important; however, its contributions to Egyptology are immense as it helped to decipher the language of ancient Egypt, hieroglyphics. The Rosetta Stone is a broken portion of a bigger stone slab, but on this portion, there is the same message written in three languages: hieroglyphics, Demotic, and Ancient Greek.
Rosetta Stone was found in 1799 in the town of Rashid (Rosetta) by Napoleon’s troops during his campaign in Egypt. It was signed over to the British in 1801 in the Treaty of Alexandria after their defeat and has been in the British Museum since 1802.
Why does Egypt Want the Rosetta Stone Back?
There are many cultural, ethical, and economic reasons that Egypt would want the Rosetta Stone returned. The Rosetta Stone is a vital piece of Egyptian culture and heritage and would help boost Egypt’s tourism sector. Although the Rosetta Stone does not directly draw any revenue for the British Museum as it is part of the free permanent collection, it does help draw tourism both to the museum and the United Kingdom. In 2024, the British Museum had over 6 million tourists, making it the most visited attraction in the UK. Museum tourism has a huge economic impact both for the museum itself and the country that the museum is in. There is also significant public and academic pressure to return the stone. Many argue that returning the Rosetta Stone is a matter of decolonization.
Why would the British Museum Not Return It?
Currently, the British Museum is highly unlikely to return the Rosetta Stone. Firstly, there has not yet been a formal request from the Egyptian Government to return the stone. Secondly, there are legal obstacles such as the British Museum Act of 1963 and the claim of legal acquisition. The British Museum Act of 1963 prevents the museum from disposing of its collection unless the item is a duplicate, damaged, or “unfit to be retained.” This makes the transfer of ownership much more complicated as it takes an Act of Parliament to make it legal. There is also the argument that the Rosetta Stone was acquired legally as it was acquired through the Treaty of Alexandria in 1801. Egypt was controlled by the Ottoman Empire at the time, and the Treaty was signed by an Ottoman admiral on behalf of Egypt. Lastly, and perhaps the most important reason, is the precedent that returning the Rosetta Stone would set. Returning the stone would allow countries worldwide to demand the return of their artifacts, which could empty collections central to many museums’ identities.
Conclusion
The Grand Egyptian Museum represents a new era for Egypt as both a custodian of its own ancient history and as a major player in global cultural dialogue. With its state-of-the-art conservation facilities and unmatched collection, the museum strengthens Egypt’s case for the return of iconic artifacts like the Rosetta Stone. This debate goes beyond a single object; it speaks to broader questions of cultural ownership, historical justice, and the role of museums in a post-colonial world. While legal and diplomatic hurdles remain, the Grand Egyptian Museum sends a clear message: Egypt is ready to reclaim its narrative and present its heritage on its own terms, on its own land.
Image courtesy of The Grand Egyptian Museum, ©2025. Some rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the wider St. Andrews Foreign Affairs Review team.
