Although the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu reigned over 4,000 years ago, he has maintained his status in the after-life. His solar boat has made the news, after being carefully moved several kilometres to a new museum. After seeing 22 royal mummies moved to their new home in April 2021, it was interesting to see a pharaoh’s goods being moved.
Belonging to the Pharaoh Khnum Khufu who reigned in the Fourth Dynasty, the solar boat is approximately 4,600 years old. Made of 20 tons of cedarwood and measuring 42 metres long, the boat was discovered in 1954 by Kamal el-Mallakh in the Pyramid of Cheops (the largest of the three Pyramids of Giza), sealed in a bottom chamber. Originally housed at the Giza Solar Boat Museum, it was moved to the soon-to-be-opening Grand Egyptian Museum.
Solar boats were not meant to be used on water, but were sealed in the tombs of pharaohs to be used in the afterlife. The name “solar boat” denotes the path across the sky that the deceased pharaoh would take to meet the sun god Ra.
The boat had to be carefully moved. It was moved inside of a metal cage (for stability) on a remote control vehicle that was specifically imported from Belgium for the move. Beginning late on Friday evening, it took ten hours to move. As reported by ABC News, Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry released a statement saying,
The aim of the transportation project is to protect and preserve the biggest and oldest organic artifact made of wood in the history of humanity for the future generations.
The Grand Egyptian Museum will provide a more stable environment with needed climate control and access to new technologies for conservation. Given that it is the oldest, surviving complete ship, this move will only help preserve it for generations to come.
