GRAND CENTRAL Belfast

BEN MITCHELL travels to Egypt’s capital for a preview of ambitious plans to make the most of its wealth of archaeological artefacts

WHERE AND WHY

If you’re looking for luxury on a trip to Belfast, the Grand Central is just that. The five-star hotel has welcomed King Charles and Queen Camilla as well as presidents, music icons and sport stars. But it’s far from stuffy or stuck up because, that is not the vibe in this great city.

From the chatty concierge to the friendly restaurant staff, we were treated to a warm welcome and, of course, the famous craic.

Our room was comfy, decorated in greys with teal accents, had spectacular views over the city, as well as the comfiest bed I’ve ever slept in.

Situated in the fashionable Linen Quarter, the 23-storey hotel has 300 rooms and meals can be taken in the Grand Cafe or the stunning Seahorse restaurant. Alternatively you can plump for afternoon tea in the Observatory.

ON THE MENU

We had dinner in the Grand Cafe after a busy day of sightseeing.

The chorizo and manchego croquettes (£11), was a perfect starter. I then opted for chicken schnitzel with parmesan fries (£25), which hit the mark. My pal went for beerbattered haddock with crushed peas and triple-fried chips (£21).

There are lots of food options in the morning too, from a full Irish to continental breakfast.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE

From our room you could see the Titanic Belfast museum. We’d booked ahead online for £24.95 each (titanicbelfast. com). It offers £18 late saver tickets which cover eight of the 10 galleries for an hour before closing. From there we headed to Commercial Court for a refreshment. The Harp Bar is a lively and popular venue with live music and dancing.

WAKE-UP CALL

Rooms at The Grand Central Hotel Belfast start at £300 per night, B&B. hastingshotels.com/ grand-central

■ By SALLY MCLEAN

“THE more you know about them, the more besotted you get.”

Egypt’s deputy minister of tourism is gazing across the plateau of Giza as he describes the unforgettable sight of the Great Pyramid, proudly pushing out of the desert in front of him.

Dark shadows of clouds climb up the sandy sides, only to roll off again, leaving the pyramids shining in the same vibrant yellow as the sand which lies all around, dominating the horizon as they point to the heavens above.

Mohamed Salama runs through some of the massively ambitious plans to transform Cairo’s tourism, including the opening of the Great Egyptian Museum.

We are sharing an Egyptian mixed grill lunch at the 9 Pyramids restaurant, camouflaged into the Giza desert plateau and overlooking one of the world’s most famous landmarks.

Out of sight, on the northern side of the pyramids and the sphinx, is the 120-acre site of the long-delayed but highly-anticipated £1 billion Japanese-funded museum – the largest archaeological museum in the world with 872,000 square-feet of floorspace.

It will be home to 100,000 artefacts, including 5,398 items from the legendary Tutankhamun collection, featuring highlights such as the iconic death mask of the boy king as well as his golden throne.

More than 100 years since the world was gripped by the excavations of British archaeologist Howard Carter, who uncovered one of the greatest historical discoveries, Egypt is preparing a final resting place worthy of the king’s possessions.

The roof of the sand-coloured compound slopes down to earth like a ray of sunlight, interrupted by a pyramid of dark stone that acts as the grand entrance to the museum.

Once inside, I am greeted in the vast lobby by the 3,200-year-old statue of Ramses II – at 11 metres, it’s so tall that it had to be installed when the site was still a pile of sand, the museum being built around it.

Although the opening date for the museum still has not been confirmed, I have been invited by easyjet Holidays to have a sneak preview of what the Egyptian tourist authority is promising to be one of the world’s best historical collections.

The visit starts with a 360-degree immersive cinema experience, which pulls us back in time and into the legend of King Tut, taking us on a virtual journey to the Valley of the

Kings and into his tomb, which is recreated in the vibrant yellows, reds and greens of the original hieroglyphics – as fresh as the day they were originally painted for his death in 1,323BC.

Afterwards, I return to the lobby to begin the ascent of the Grand Staircase, which echoes a side of the pyramids designed as pathways to the heavens for the god kings.

At every stage as I ascend, I am met by an array of statues, sarcophagi and tablets, which tell the story of the kings and queens of Egypt, before I reach the final level depicting the ages-old aim of all the kings – eternity.

Here is the entrance to the gallery dedicated to Tutankhamen – whose name will surely live forever – and a giant window providing an aweinspiring view of the three main pyramids of Giza on the horizon.

Unfortunately this is where the visit ends at present until an opening date is finally announced, currently thought to be later this year. Delays have been caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Arab Spring crisis in 2011, and now it appears that the Israel-gaza war has had a further impact on the opening date.

However, before I leave the museum, archaeologist Tarek Sarhan reveals one last secret.

A small window has been created above the entrance to allow a ray of sun to shine directly on to the giant Ramses II statue twice a year, in the same way that the ancients designed his tomb for a ray to shine on the faces of the Holiest of Holies along the back wall.

This will next happen on October 22 – could this scene fit for an Indiana Jones movie be the moment the museum is finally opened?

Eager to set my eyes on the