Pharaoh Khufu’s 4,600-year-old vessel, also known as the Solar Boat, has been moved from its well-known home next to the Giza pyramids to the Grand Egyptian Museum, a statement by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said.
According to the Ministry, the Grand Egyptian Museum’s staff team succeeded in transporting the 42-metre (138-foot) long and 20-tonne solar boat, which took 48 hours before it arrived safely at the museum at dawn yesterday, Saturday.
Atef Moftah, supervisor general of the GEM project, said that the boat was transported inside a metal cage carried on a remote-controlled vehicle imported from Belgium especially for the operation.
“Special thanks to the huge efforts of the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces, the Supreme Council of Antiquities and all the state agencies, companies and teams who contributed to the successful move of the first Khufu boat,” Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a tweet.
Special thanks to the huge efforts of the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces, the Supreme Council of Antiquities and all the state agencies, companies and teams who contributed to the successful move of the first Khufu boat pic.twitter.com/8SHXLQnhFf
— Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (@TourismandAntiq) August 7, 2021
The Grand Egyptian Museum is expected to open later this year in 2021, and will be one of “the largest, most modern, and most renowned museums in the world” as it states on its website. It is also expected to welcome around 15,000 visitors per day, which is three times more than the number of people who currently visit the museum in Tahrir Square.
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