The Solar Boat Museum: A Beacon of Magical Design

The Solar Boat Museum is one of the distinctive museums and archaeological landmarks that receive many visitors and tourists throughout the year, as the museum contains the oldest and largest wooden ships in history.

Solar boats were discovered in the history of ancient civilizations and were called the Khufu boats. The solar boat is a miracle by all standards left to us by our ancestors as a priceless cultural and civilizational legacy that amazed the world by preserving it underground. 

The Solar Boat Museum is a Pharaonic treasure that sheds light on the ancient pharaohs’ boats. This is a brief overview that allowed us to take you to more exciting details. Follow this article with us to learn more details about the museum.

The Importance of the Solar Boat

Solar boats represent an essential part of ancient Egyptian beliefs, and among these beliefs are The Pharaoh Ra sails through the sky during the day then returns to the underworld to fight his battle against the forces of darkness at night.

These boats were also used in funeral rituals as the king’s body was placed in them after his death, and he was transferred from his earthly place to his burial place on a seven-day journey on the Nile River until he reached the city of Abydos, which was at that time one of the most sacred places in the belief of the ancient Egyptians.

They worshiped Osiris, and this journey was called “Ka Ba” as a means believing that through this journey he would gain a great position in the afterlife.

Museum location and history

The Solar Boat Museum also known as the Khufu Boat Museum is located next to the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt. The museum opened in 1982 to display one of the funerary boats that were dedicated to the Pharaoh Khufu (2609-2584 BC) to be used on his journey to the afterlife, according to ancient Egyptian beliefs.

The story of the discovery of the solar boat

The boat was discovered by the Egyptian archaeologist Engineer Kamal El-Mallakh; Director of the Giza Pyramids area in 1954, where the boat was found disassembled into 1224 artifacts and preserved with great care in the depths of two holes carved in the rock each hole is more than thirty meters long and three and a half meters deep, south of the Khufu Pyramid, and each hole was covered with a huge stone block,

where great and continuous efforts were made at that time that lasted for several years, during which the wooden pieces made of cedar wood were treated, the boat was designed, and it was reassembled and we cannot forget to give credit where it is due, it is worth mentioning Hajj Ahmed Youssef, the great Egyptian restorer, and his essential role in restoring the boat. 

Then its final image was completed, and the curtain was lifted to reveal the boat, which is about 43.6 meters long, 5.9 meters wide, and 6 meters high. The boat shows the skills and greatness of the ancient Egyptians in the craft of shipbuilding.

It is also believed that it was used in funeral rituals, or as an expressive means to transport the spirit of the pharaoh to the afterlife.

In 2021 the boat was transferred to the Grand Egyptian Museum to be preserved and displayed to the public in a more advanced environment befitting its historical value.

 Architectural Design of the Museum

Egypt is not without its sons experienced engineers skilled technicians and distinguished archaeologists who are distinguished by an architectural sense and a civilized skill that you can only find in the great sons of Egypt.

They put all their experiences and all their architectural and artistic touches in the Solar Boat Museum with an authentic Egyptian sense, so that the museum appears in its most beautiful form.

We see that the design of the Solar Boat Museum enjoys many advantages, including:

• It allows visitors to view the boat from several different angles, as the museum consists of three floors, through which the boat can be seen from above and from the sides, and from all directions, so that the visitor experiences a unique experience that he may not see anywhere else.
• The Solar Boat Museum also includes original wooden tools and fixtures of high value, as well as illustrative means that show the process of reassembling the boat, which creates fun and excitement for visitors.

Transporting the boat to the Grand Egyptian Museum

After years of continuous work, research and study the boat was fully assembled. In 2021, the first Khufu boat was transported to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is considered the largest archaeological monument in the world using the largest transport vehicle in the world, equipped with modern electronic means and remote control means, and imported from Belgium specifically to transport the entire boat as one integrated piece. 

This transport process took 10 hours to ensure the preservation of this unique artifact, and display it in a more advanced manner befitting its historical value in its entirety without dismantling, and to ensure its safe arrival to the museum without any potential or uncertain consequences.

The Pyramids area witnessed intensive preparations at a high level of security for the procession to transport the solar boat to the Grand Egyptian Museum as the Egyptian authorities closed all roads and axes leading to the procession’s route.

Visitors to the Solar Boat Museum

Visitors to the Solar Boat Museum vary according to their interests and the objectives of their visit:

• Foreign tourists: Foreign tourists visit the museum on tours to learn about ancient Egyptian civilization, as they are interested in seeing the solar boat as a unique artifact, and learning about the methods of building ships among the ancient Egyptians.
• Egyptians interested in antiquities: This includes families and individuals who wish to learn about the history of their country, and may visit the museum during school holidays or family trips.
• Students and researchers: Such as school and university students who visit the museum on educational trips, and researchers and Egyptologists who study the details of building the boat and its religious and cultural connotations.
• Art and history enthusiasts: Those interested in the engineering design of the boat, and the high craftsmanship in its construction and erection, with the aim of realizing the historical and symbolic dimensions of this artifact.
• Official delegations and important figures: This includes diplomats and cultural officials, who visit the museum within the framework of mutual cultural relations and are accompanied on their tours by experts Antiquities, or tour guides to provide a detailed explanation.
• Families and children: They enjoy visiting the Solar Boat Museum, as part of an educational and entertaining experience, to introduce new generations to the ancient Egyptian civilization.

Some museums also provide interactive programs that attract children and make learning fun and mixed with many types of entertainment.

Prominent figures who visited the Solar Boat Museum 

Among the most prominent figures who visited the solar Boat museum:

• French President Emmanuel Macron – visited the Pyramids area, and the Solar Boat Museum was among the important stops during his visit to Egypt.
• King Felipe VI of Spain – during his official visit to Egypt, where he expressed his admiration for the extent of the development of navigation sciences among the ancient Egyptians.
• US President Barack Obama – during his visit to Egypt in 2009, he visited the Pyramids area and may have passed by the Solar Boat Museum during his tour.
• Arab and African presidents and kings – such as Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

FAQS

What are the visiting hours of the Solar Boat Museum?

Typical working hours:

Sunday to Thursday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Friday and Saturday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Is there a museum similar to the Solar Boat Museum?

Yes, there are many museums similar to the Solar Boat Museum, such as the Carter House Museum in Egypt, the Egyptian Navy Museum in Alexandria, and the Museum of Islamic Arts.

In conclusion, we have learned with you today about the Solar Boat Museum which bears witness to the ingenuity of the ancient Egyptians in building ships and their religious connotations.

With its transfer to the Grand Egyptian Museum this unique monument continues to amaze visitors and preserve Egypt’s ancient heritage for future generations. We hope that you will like this article.