The boat of Pharaoh Khufu, the largest and oldest wooden boat discovered in Egypt, has been relocated from its home near the Giza pyramids to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which is set to open soon.
This boat is 42 meters long and weighs 20 tons.
The 4,600-year-old vessel, also known as the Solar Boat, measures 42 meters in length and weighs 20 tons. It was carefully placed in a massive metal cage and transported on a remote-controlled vehicle imported from Belgium.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities stated in a release: “The purpose of the project is to protect and preserve the largest and oldest organic wooden artifact in human history for future generations.”
The journey to the boat’s new home began late on August 6 and took 48 hours to complete. The Ministry reported that it arrived at GEM early Saturday morning.
What You Need to Know About the Solar Boat
This is the largest and oldest wooden boat discovered in Egypt, but it was not built for sailing, contrary to its name.
It belonged to Pharaoh King Khufu, a ruler of the Fourth Dynasty who reigned during the Old Kingdom (around 2600 BC).
Pharaohs viewed Solar Boats as ceremonial vessels.
In ancient Egypt, Pharaohs regarded Solar Boats as ceremonial vessels that would carry them to the afterlife alongside the sun god Ra. To serve this purpose, these boats were always buried in pits next to the royal burial chambers.
The boat is now housed at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Pharaoh Khufu’s boat was primarily constructed from Lebanese cedar wood using the “shell-first” building technique. It was discovered in 1954 at the southern corner of the Great Pyramid of Giza and has been displayed for decades in a museum named after it on the Giza Plateau.
More than 50 years later, the boat is now located at the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is expected to open later this year after 17 years of construction. Upon opening, it will feature over 100,000 artifacts and will be “the largest archaeological museum in the world.”
