CAIRO: Egypt began a public live restoration of King Khufu’s ancient solar boat at the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum on Tuesday, more than 4,000 years after the vessel was first built.

Egyptian conservators used a small crane to carefully lift a fragile, decayed plank into the Solar Boats Museum hall — the first of 1,650 wooden pieces that make up the ceremonial boat of the Old Kingdom pharaoh.

The 4,600-year-old boat was built during the reign of King Khufu, the pharaoh who also commissioned the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The vessel was discovered in 1954 in a sealed pit near the pyramids, but its excavation did not begin until 2011 due to the fragile condition of the wood.

“You are witnessing today one of the most important restoration projects in the 21st century,” Egyptian Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy told reporters.

“It is important for the museum, and it is important for humanity and the history and the heritage.” The restoration will take place in full view of visitors to the Grand Egyptian Museum over the coming four years.

The project is funded by a $3.5-million grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), with Japanese archaeologists working alongside Egyptian specialists.

Eissa Zidan, head of conservation projects at the museum, said the wooden planks were “thermally degraded and in a very weak condition”.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2025