Cairo, Nov. 1 (Jiji Press)--The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), built with Japanese support on the outskirts of Cairo, the Egyptian capital, marked its first anniversary Sunday.

During its first year of operation, the museum attracted over 5 million visitors despite the deteriorating situation in the Middle East.

The museum in Giza houses over 100,000 ancient Egyptian artifacts, including the golden mask and other funerary items from the tomb of King Tutankhamun.

To commemorate its first anniversary, the GEM will host a special nighttime show from this month through the end of April next year. Using lighting and music, the show recreates scenes from ancient Egyptian life, including the flooding of the Nile and crop harvesting.

GEM CEO Ahmed Ghoneim told reporters that the museum had achieved its goal of attracting more tourists to the pyramid area, highlighting its contribution to local tourism.

A special show commemorating the first anniversary of the Grand Egyptian Museum is unveiled in Giza on the outskirts of Cairo on Sunday.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]