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Wooden panels belonging to the second solar boat of Pharaoh Khufu have been transferred from a restoration center to an exhibition hall at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, marking a new phase in the effort to put together one of ancient Egypt’s most symbolic vessels, according to museum officials.
As part of the preparation work, sections of the assembly process are being carried out in front of visitors, allowing the public to follow how the 4,500-year-old boat is gradually being brought back together.
Located next to the three Great Pyramids of Giza, west of Egypt’s capital, Cairo, the Grand Egyptian Museum houses some of the country’s most important archaeological treasures. Among them, the solar boats of Khufu stand out for both their scale and their religious meaning within ancient Egyptian civilization.
The boats, commonly known as “solar boats,” were ceremonial vessels connected to ancient Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife. In this belief system, the boats were intended to carry Pharaoh Khufu, the second ruler of the Fourth Dynasty, on his symbolic journey with the sun god after death. This explains why the vessels were buried close to the Great Pyramid, which served as Khufu’s royal tomb.
Dating back to around 4,500 years ago, the boats are among the oldest surviving wooden ships in the world. Of the two vessels built for Khufu, both have survived into modern times, although they followed different paths of discovery and restoration.
The first solar boat was discovered in 1954 beside the Great Pyramid. It was found dismantled into more than 1,200 separate wooden pieces, carefully packed and preserved underground. After years of detailed work, specialists managed to put the vessel back together without using any metal nails, relying instead on original ancient techniques. That reconstructed boat is now on display in the Khufu Boats Hall at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
The second boat followed decades later. All of its components were fully extracted in 2021, revealing around 1,650 individual wooden pieces. Since then, conservation teams have focused on restoring each element before moving on to the more complex task of assembly.
Museum officials said restoration work on the second boat has now been completed, clearing the way for assembly to begin.
The process is taking place inside a specially designed structure prepared within the Grand Egyptian Museum, built to support the size and fragility of the ancient vessel. With the recent transfer of wooden panels into the exhibition hall, visitors are now able to watch parts of this delicate work as it unfolds.
Once fully assembled, the second solar boat will stand alongside its counterpart, offering a more complete picture of royal funerary practices during Egypt’s Old Kingdom.
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