The scarab pendant with the mysterious Libyan Desert Glass.
Place: Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza, Egypt.
Among the treasures found inside king Tutankhamun's tomb there was a necklace which had a unique Scarab stone.(a large dung beetle symbol of the sun god). The special thing about this stone was that no one has seen a stone like this before and no one knew its name. to know more about this greenish-yellow stone, thousands of stones experts tried their luck but this small piece of stone was very different from all the stones found on earth. and people started to believe that this unique stone was not from earth rather it was came from another planet.
But scientist didn't agreed. several years later when the modern technology became powerful a group of scientists did a lab testing of this unique stone from Tutankhamun's necklace. and the result they got, created a sensation in the whole science world.
650 Kilometers from the pyramid of Giza, situated in the middle of the mountain of limestone, the place is called valley of the kings. thousand of years ago kings and queens of Egypt were buried here with all their treasure. many such beautiful tombs filled with treasure become prey to the grave robbers. But there was one such tomb which was found intact condition by Howard carter. this tomb was of king Tutankhamun, who ruled Egypt approximately 3400 years ago.
As the discovery of kings mummy and his treasure created a sensation in the world and to see this treasure people from all over the world's started coming here. The treasure contains thousands of objects made of pure gold. whereas in that treasure there was a necklace which was decorated with different colors of precious stones. among these stones, the most beautiful and the biggest was fitted in middle of the necklace. no one had seen this beautiful stone in the middle of the necklace before. Thousand of mineralogist, stone experts and glass experts seen stone but none could found anything. this unique stone was very much rare from all stones.
650 Kilometers from the pyramid of Giza, situated in the middle of the mountain of limestone, the place is called valley of the kings. thousand of years ago kings and queens of Egypt were buried here with all their treasure. many such beautiful tombs filled with treasure become prey to the grave robbers. But there was one such tomb which was found intact condition by Howard carter. this tomb was of king Tutankhamun, who ruled Egypt approximately 3400 years ago.
As the discovery of kings mummy and his treasure created a sensation in the world and to see this treasure people from all over the world's started coming here. The treasure contains thousands of objects made of pure gold. whereas in that treasure there was a necklace which was decorated with different colors of precious stones. among these stones, the most beautiful and the biggest was fitted in middle of the necklace. no one had seen this beautiful stone in the middle of the necklace before. Thousand of mineralogist, stone experts and glass experts seen stone but none could found anything. this unique stone was very much rare from all stones.
The peoples believe that this stone was a mysterious and magical stone or it came from outer space. the fact was bothering the experts was that the properties of this piece of glass or stone was quite different from a normal glass.
Laboratory test further revealed that this piece of glass was created with a temperature of more than 1600'C. whereas the boiling lava coming out of a volcano has a temperature of 1100'C.
From where ancient Egyptians get hold of this piece of glass? And this was the questions, that was constantly bothering researchers. this piece of glass had become like a mystery. Many years past but no one could figure out from where this piece of glass came?
1000 KM from Egyptian's city Cairo a caravan was passing in middle of the Sahara desert. They found thousands some mysterious stone in the desert far and wide. and this was the same kind of glass that was found in the necklace of Tutankhamun. This news spread like wildfire in whole Egypt. and team of researchers also got the news who were investigating this piece of glass for years.
The glass from Tutankhamun's necklace was found from Egypt's desert thousand kilometer's away, which was now given the name Desert glass.
But from where did these pieces of glass spread across thousand of miles of area came from? researchers team visit 1000 kilometers in Sahara desert far from Egypt main city (near Libya border). This is the sea of desert, wherever you look, its only the sand dunes; there is no human and animal here. there were numerous pieces of stone scattered all over the desert, it is as of some kind of catastrophe happened here because of which these stone came into being. Modern lab testing of many samples were done. And it was found that there were few particles in it which were really alien to our planet. That this piece of stone was estimated 29 million years old. which made of nearly 100% pure silica.
And according to scientists it could mean only one thing that area was once hit by a big meteoroid. The biggest sign of meteorites falling on the earth is large craters. It can be so large that you might feel you're standing beside a Gorge or a chasm. But there big mystery in this part of the desert there was no such crater, far and wide. which could confirm the falling of a meteorite theory.
According to scientists maybe it's a Airburst Theory (More Recent and Popular)
In 2013, scientists found zircon crystals in the glass that had transformed into baddeleyite, which only happens at extreme temperatures — strong evidence supporting a high-energy explosion rather than volcanic activity.
A comet or meteor exploded in the air above the desert (like the 1908 Tunguska event in Siberia).
it would have melted the sands stones in a split second. The intense heat (over 1,600°C) melted the desert sand. As soon as the molten sand stone lava came in contact with the water, it cooled off immediately and this unique silica stone was formed.
(some geology experts said 7000 years ago this sea of desert used to be a place filled with greenery where there used to be rivers and many lakes.)
It took scientists a hundred years to solve the mystery of desert stone. This stone is called desert stone or pure silica stone. which is only found in this desert of Sahara.
Every year when the dunes change their location with the blow of wind or storm new pieces of stone is found. Now the biggest piece that researchers have got is Size: 425 x 360 x 235 mm 25 KG.
Location:
Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza, Egypt. Giza Plateau, near the Pyramids of Giza.
Size: Over 480,000 square meters — one of the largest archaeological museums ever built.
Opening Status (as of 2025): The museum has been partially open for private tours, with full public opening expected very soon.
Over 5,000 items from King Tutankhamun's tomb will be displayed together for the first time ever
# His golden death mask
# Jewelry, chariots, weapons, and clothing
# The scarab pendant with the mysterious Libyan Desert Glass.
Will You See the Libyan Desert Glass There?
Yes — the pectoral (necklace) of Tutankhamun containing the yellow-green Libyan Desert Glass scarab is part of the GEM's Tutankhamun exhibit.
How to Go:
Getting There from Downtown Cairo or Giza
Taxi or Ride‑Hailing (Uber / Kareem)
The most convenient way to reach GEM. From downtown Cairo, expect a 30–45 minute drive, costing around EGP 120–150 (≈ $3–4 USD)
From Giza hotels, fares may be slightly lower (EGP 100–120, ≈ $2–3 USD)
Tip: Always select cash or card as preferred payment through the app. Internet connectivity at the museum entrance might be spotty, making pickups slightly unreliable—plan ahead or exit the gate to find a pickup point.
Private Car / Tour Services
Many organized tours include round trips between Cairo, GEM, and the Giza Pyramids—ideal if you’re combining multiple sights in one day.
Public Transport Options:
Metro + Taxi Combination
The nearest metro line is Line 2 (orange line). Ride to Giza Station, then take a taxi to GEM (≈ EGP 70–80, ≈ $2 USD), or hail an Uber from there.
Less advisable: Take metro to Cairo University, then cross a busy highway to hail a cab for the remaining 18 km—risky and time-consuming.
City Buses
CTA buses 355 or 357 from Tahrir Square (or Cairo interests) head toward Giza Pyramids—then you’ll still need a short taxi or rideshare hop to reach GEM’s entrance. Public buses offer budget rates but are less reliable for multi-leg journeys.
Best Time to Visit:
Favor October–April for milder weather (18–25 °C). Summer can reach 40+ °C—visit early morning or later afternoon to avoid heat and crowds
🕒Useful Tips
Opening Hours:
Museum Complex: 8:30 AM–7:00 PM, extended to 10:00 PM on Saturday & Wednesday.
Galleries: 9:00 AM–6:00 PM, extended to 9:00 PM on those days.
Last entry is 60–90 minutes before closing.
Tickets: Purchase online via official site or at the entrance (credit card only).
Display prices (Feb 2025): Adults EGP 1200 ($24), guided tours EGP 1700 ($34) for foreigners; student/child rates approx. half that.
