The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) received a collection of 2,000 artefacts from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir and the storage galleries of Tal El-Yahoudeya and Giza Plateau.

The artefacts will be restored and exhibited at the GEM.

Major General Atef Moftah, general supervisor of the GEM project and the surrounding area, said the artefacts were transferred amid tight security measures by the Tourism and Antiquities Police and under the supervision of the museum’s restorers and curators.

With the new collection, the GEM has thus far received 54,000 objects.

Moftah said among the most important artefacts are two red granite columns of King Ramses II, each weighing 13 tons and measuring 6 metres high. The columns will be on display at the GEM's Grand Staircase.

Al-Tayeb Abbas, director-general of Archaeological Affairs at the GEM, explained that among the transferred objects are a group of 54 artefacts from the treasures of King Tutankhamun, including a set of gold jewellery and necklaces, as well as a gilded wooden statue depicting the young king, with a stick in one hand and a flail in the other, standing on the back of a leopard, wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt, and on his forehead the sacred uraeus and a wide beaded necklace that covers his chest and shoulders.

Abbas added that a distinguished collection from different eras, from the Old to the New Kingdom, was among the transported items. The most important of these is a double statue of the writer of Atun Temple in Tal El-Amarna, the so-called Mery-Re, who later changed his name to Mery-Atun. The statue was found by the Dutch-British archaeological mission several years ago at Saqqara Necropolis. The double statue is characterised by high artistic technique in terms of features, clothes and excellent details of wigs, bras, and pleated clothes.

From Tel El-Yahoudeya the GEM received pottery vessels, silver coins and a group of metal statues.

Issa Zidan, director-general of the Executive Affairs for the Restoration and Transportation of Antiquities at the GEM, affirmed the museum will open in 2021. He added that 47 wooden pieces were transferred from Khufu's second solar boat at the Pyramid, bringing the total number of wooden pieces transferred to the GEM from the boat to 1,053.

He pointed out that before packing and transportation, a report was written about each piece to state its preservation means.

The Boy King's collection is currently being restored at the GEM's lab centre.