Egypt opens grand museum near pyramids

Egypt officially opened on Saturday the Grand Egyptian Museum, a long-awaited, billion-dollar showcase of pharaonic grandeur that Cairo hopes will revive tourism and boost its battered economy.

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"Today, as we celebrate together the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, we are writing a new chapter in the history of the present and the future," Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told a gathering of dignitaries, sitting in the museum’s square.

Spanning half a million square meters, the museum houses around 100,000 artefacts -- half of them on display -- dating back more than six millennia.

The audience at the opening watched a display of lights and music, with the pyramids towering in front of them.

Dozens of performers dressed in elaborate Pharaonic costumes played traditional tunes as a laser show depicting pharaohs and fireworks lit up the night sky above the museum.