Khufu Boat Museum

Under the shadow of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest and best-preserved ancient ship in Egypt and the world was discovered, and dates to the Old Kingdom. The ship was found buried in a deep pit on the south side of the pyramid and forms part of the burial goods of the pharaoh Khufu.

Due to the lack of good building wood in Egypt, the planks of the ship were made of cedar wood imported from Lebanon, and were tied together with ropes. The ship, which was discovered in 1954, was found dismantled. The restorer, Ahmed Youssef Mostafa, spent many years studying ancient and modern ships in Egypt to enable him to reconstruct the ship. The boat pit where the ship was found is incorporated within the museum as well.The museum was designed in the form of a huge boat to suit the nature of the monument so that the boat is in the middle of the museum. The museum was established in 1960 and opened to the public in 1982.

Ships and boats held a religious and symbolic importance in ancient Egypt. The sun god, Ra, was believed to journey every day across the sky in a ship. The exact purpose of this ship, however, is not certain. It is thought that it was likely meant to symbolically transport the deceased pharaoh to the afterlife.