At the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, an ancient Egyptian boat is slowly being brought back to life — in full public view. Conservators have begun reassembling a 4,500-year-old cedarwood vessel that once belonged to Pharaoh Khufu, allowing visitors to observe one of the most complex restoration projects currently underway in Egypt.
Work on the boat began earlier this week inside the museum’s exhibition hall, where dozens of visitors gathered to watch specialists piece together fragments of the massive structure. Measuring 42 metres in length, the vessel is made up of 1,650 individual wooden components, all of which must be carefully aligned and stabilised.
According to Issa Zeidan, head of restoration at the Grand Egyptian Museum, the reassembly process is expected to take nearly four years. The boat sits alongside its already-restored twin, offering a rare opportunity to compare two nearly identical ancient vessels at different stages of conservation.
Pharaoh Khufu ruled Egypt more than 4,500 years ago and is best known as the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The two boats were discovered in 1954 in sealed pits near the pyramid’s southern side. Their wooden components were buried in a dismantled state, carefully preserved beneath limestone blocks.
Excavation of the second boat’s pieces began in 2014, following years of research and planning. While the exact purpose of the vessels remains uncertain, archaeologists believe they were either used during Khufu’s funeral procession or intended to carry the king through the afterlife alongside the sun god Ra.
The decision to carry out the restoration publicly marks a shift in how large-scale conservation work is presented. Rather than keeping the process hidden behind laboratory walls, the museum is inviting audiences to witness the slow, meticulous labour involved in preserving ancient artefacts.
Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy, who attended the start of the restoration, described the project as one of the most significant of its kind in recent decades, noting its importance to Egypt’s archaeological heritage.
The $1 billion museum, often referred to as GEM, houses nearly 50,000 artefacts, including the Tutankhamun collection, discovered in 1922. Located near the Giza pyramids on Cairo’s outskirts, the museum is positioned as a major cultural landmark.
As Khufu’s boat gradually takes form, the project offers a rare intersection of archaeology, craftsmanship and time — reminding visitors that history is not only displayed, but patiently rebuilt.
Email: shivani@newindianexpress.com
X: @ShivaniIllakiya
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels