Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, accompanied by Dr Ahmed Ghoneim, CEO of the GEM Authority, and Ms Mayada Magdy, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Egypt, witnessed the installation, signalling the beginning of a critical phase in one of the world’s most ambitious archaeological restoration projects.
The ceremony was attended by Deputy CEO of the GEM Authority for Archaeological Affairs Khaled Hassan; Director General of Conservation and Artefact Transportation Eissa Zidan; several museum officials; and Egyptian and Japanese conservation experts.
Museum employees install antique wooden planks from King Khufu’s second boat onto a metal structure at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. AFP
“What we are witnessing today goes beyond the mere reassembly of an ancient boat,” Fathy said. “The Second Khufu Boat, long sealed in a limestone pit beside the Great Pyramid, embodies a sophisticated understanding of engineering, ritual, and symbolism that continues to astonish scholars more than four millennia after its construction.”
The project, carried out through Egyptian-Japanese collaboration, is unique in that the restoration is happening in full view of the public.
Over the next four years, visitors to the GEM will be able to watch conservators and engineers piece together approximately 1,650 wooden elements, creating a live educational experience that highlights the science, labour, and dedication involved in preserving this ancient masterpiece.
Dr Ghoneim described the project as a globally unique display, tracing the boat’s journey from discovery to revival.
“The boat was found in an extremely fragile condition,” he said, noting that advanced documentation, environmental studies, and cutting-edge conservation techniques helped overcome the formidable scientific challenges.
According to Zidan, all components of the boat have completed final conservation. Work began in 2022 after the wooden elements were carefully extracted from the southern pit near the Great Pyramid and stabilized in specialized laboratories.
Museum employees install antique wooden planks from King Khufu’s second boat onto a metal structure at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. AFP
The current reassembly inside the newly constructed Khufu Boats Museum marks the culmination of decades of planning and preparation.
Measuring approximately 42 metres, the second solar boat differs in design and construction from its counterpart already on display, offering new insights into shipbuilding practices during Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty.
Its oars, structural elements, and associated materials reflect the advanced maritime knowledge of the ancient Egyptians.
Discovered in 1954, the two boat pits beside Khufu’s pyramid posed major conservation challenges. While the first boat was reassembled and displayed decades ago, the second remained sealed for years to preserve its fragile environment.
The Egyptian-Japanese restoration project, formally launched in 1992, represents one of the most complex heritage preservation efforts of the modern era.
The project highlights Egypt’s leadership in protecting global heritage and demonstrates how the past can be made vivid for the present.
“This is not simply the reconstruction of an ancient vessel,” Fathy said. “It is a revival of a vital chapter of ancient Egyptian ingenuity, a testament to human collaboration, and a source of national pride.”
By allowing visitors to witness the reconstruction process live, the GEM offers a new approach to museology, showing not just the final artefact but its full journey from discovery, documentation, conservation, to rebirth, he added.
The restoration also provides valuable insights into ritual practices, symbolic meaning, and naval engineering of the Fourth Dynasty, deepening understanding of the king’s journey, both earthly and divine.
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