A large hourglass has been installed in Turin, Italy’s, Piazza San Carlo, counting down progress as the €50m (US$62.3m, £39.7m) redevelopment of the city’s Egyptian Museum reaches its final stages.

Scheduled to fully reopen on 1 April 2015, Museo Egizio or the Egyptian Museum of Turin is one of the world’s oldest Egyptian museums. Founded in 1824, it ranks second only to its counterpart in Cairo. The museum is at the centre of a major transformation project which is nearing completion after nearly nine years of planning and three years of development. Once complete, the work will almost double the size of the museum.

The initiative is part of the #Egizio2015 project by cultural foundation Compagnia di San Paolo, which donated €25m (US$31.2m, £19.8m) towards the redevelopment. As part of the information campaign, various artefacts to be included in the museum will tour Turin in an interactive display. Throughout January and February, the touring exhibition aims to demonstrate why Turin’s Egyptian Museum is one of the most important collections in the world, encouraging the local community to visit the facility once open.

A new exhibition: Immortals – The art and knowledge of the ancient Egyptians will be the centrepiece of the development, with Milan-based Migliore and Servetto Architects functioning as interior designers for the project, along with Turin-based architects Isolarchitetti.

“I came back to Italy seven months ago after a 17-year absence and found a great deal of excellence, a system that works and an example of successful private-public collaboration,' said museum director Christian Greco, speaking to Ansamed. "Turin will become a centre of Egyptology culture. Whoever is passionate about Egypt will have to come here."

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