The Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo has started publicly reassembling a 42-meter cedar boat attributed to Pharaoh Khufu. The restoration, involving 1,650 wooden pieces and expected to take about four years, is being performed beside an already-restored twin vessel. The boats were discovered in 1954 near the Great Pyramid, and detailed conservation work began in 2014. GEM, which opened last month and houses nearly 50,000 artifacts, hopes the project will highlight Egypt’s heritage and boost tourism.
Khufu’s 42-Meter Cedar Boat Reassembled in Public at Grand Egyptian Museum
Visitors view the first solar boat of King Khufu, at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Conservators at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Cairo have begun publicly reassembling a large ancient cedar boat attributed to Pharaoh Khufu inside the museum’s exhibition hall.
People film archeologists as they reassemble the second solar boat of King Khufu, at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
On Tuesday morning, restoration staff started fitting together the vessel’s 1,650 wooden pieces while dozens of visitors watched. The 42-meter (137-foot) craft is being rebuilt beside its already-completed twin; museum officials say the full reconstruction will take about four years.
Archeologists carry an ancient wooden block as they reassemble the second solar boat of King Khufu, at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Issa Zeidan, head of restoration at GEM, said the painstaking project preserves fragile cedar timbers recovered from the site and will be carried out in full view of the public to highlight conservation techniques and Egypt’s cultural heritage.
Archeologists measure an ancient wooden block as they prepare to reassemble the second solar boat of King Khufu, at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“You’re witnessing today one of the most important restoration projects in the 21st century,” said Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy, who attended the assembly.
Khufu, the pharaoh who commissioned the Great Pyramid of Giza more than 4,500 years ago, was associated with these boats that were uncovered in 1954 on the southern side of the Great Pyramid. Detailed excavation and conservation of the wooden components began in 2014.
Archeologists prepare to reassemble the second solar boat of King Khufu, at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Experts are still debating the boats’ exact purpose: they may have been used to transport Khufu’s body during funeral rites or were built for his symbolic voyage in the afterlife accompanying the sun god Ra.
The $1 billion Grand Egyptian Museum, commonly called GEM, opened last month near the Giza plateau and houses nearly 50,000 artifacts, including the treasures from King Tutankhamun’s tomb. The museum aims to boost tourism and support Egypt’s economy by showcasing major archaeological achievements and conservation efforts, such as the public reconstruction of Khufu’s cedar boat.
