A boat belonging to an Egyptian pharaoh was reassembled in real-time at the Grand Egyptian Museum's exhibition hall on Tuesday, UNN reports, citing AP.
Details
The cedar wood boat, one of two found belonging to King Khufu, began to be assembled on Tuesday morning under the supervision of dozens of visitors.
According to Issa Zeidan, head of the restoration department at the Grand Egyptian Museum, the assembly of the 42-meter vessel, which stands next to its already assembled twin on public display, will take about four years. The boat consists of 1650 wooden parts.
King Khufu ruled ancient Egypt over 4500 years ago and built the Great Pyramid of Giza.
"Today you are witnessing one of the most important restoration projects of the 21st century," said Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, who was present at the event.
Additionally
The $1 billion museum, also known as GEM, was named the world's largest when it officially opened last month. It houses nearly 50,000 artifacts, including a collection of treasures from the tomb of the famous King Tutankhamun, discovered in 1922. The museum, located near the pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo, is expected to boost Egypt's tourism revenues and help strengthen its weakened economy.
The boat was one of two discovered in 1954, opposite the south side of the Great Pyramid. Excavation of its wooden parts began in 2014, according to the museum's website.
The exact purpose of the boats remains unclear, but experts believe they were either used to transport King Khufu's body during his funeral or were intended for his afterlife with the sun god Ra, according to museum information.