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Grand Egyptian Museum Begins Public Reconstruction of Khufu’s Second Solar Boat

Visitors can watch EgyptianJapanese conservators reassemble the 1,650‑piece, 42‑meter vessel over up to four years with support from Japan’s aid agency.

Archeologists prepare to reassemble the second solar boat of King Khufu, at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
People film archeologists as they reassemble the second solar boat of King Khufu, at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Visitors view the first solar boat of King Khufu, at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Archeologists carry an ancient wooden block as they reassemble the second solar boat of King Khufu, at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Overview

  • Tourism officials marked the start by installing the first restored beams in the Khufu Boat Hall beside the already assembled first vessel.
  • Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has transferred and stabilized roughly 1,650 cedar fragments, initiating a live, visitor‑facing assembly process.
  • The project features collaboration between Egyptian specialists and Japanese partners, with funding reported as a US$3.5 million JICA grant.
  • Conservators describe the wood as severely fragile and thermally degraded, with treatments including nano‑cellulose, Klucel E, 3D scanning and careful acclimatization.
  • Media reports differ on when excavation began—variously cited as 2011, 2014 or 2021—reflecting long delays due to the vessel’s delicate condition.