The long-awaited inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum — the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization — has begun. The inauguration ceremony, which is in progress, lasts about ninety minutes.

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi arrived earlier at the venue for the inauguration in order to welcome the official guests.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also arrived at the Museum, accompanied by his wife Mareva.

The impressive complex, which dominates beside the Pyramids of Giza, hosts over 100,000 exhibits and extends across an area almost equal to 70 football fields, as the BBC reports.

Cairo’s new museum presents an invaluable treasure of gold objects, statues, sarcophagi and artifacts that illuminate the daily life and history of ancient Egypt. According to international media, the Grand Egyptian Museum has already been described as the country’s most ambitious cultural project, while its construction cost 1 billion dollars.

A multitude of leaders and high-profile figures from all over the world are attending the ceremony, including Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, invited by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

The Museum, literally located in the “shadow” of the Pyramids, stands as a landmark for global cultural heritage and aspires to become the new epicenter of Egyptology worldwide.