Visitors to Egypt’s new Grand Egyptian Museum are getting a rare front-row seat to history as conservators publicly reassemble a 4,500-year-old boat belonging to Pharaoh Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The 42-meter-long cedarwood vessel, discovered in 1954 and made up of 1,650 pieces, is expected to take about four years to complete. It was discovered alongside another boat, which has since been restored and is already on display at the museum. Experts believe these “solar boats” were intended for the king’s funeral or his symbolic journey in the afterlife. Officials describe the project as one of the most significant restorations of the 21st century, blending archaeology with live exhibition. Housed in the $1 billion museum near the pyramids, the spectacle highlights Egypt’s vast heritage while reinforcing ambitions to revive tourism and strengthen the economy.
AP
