16 wooden pieces of Khufu’s second boat restored at Grand Egyptian Museum
Nevine El-Aref , Saturday 3 Oct 2026
Sixteen wooden pieces from Khufu’s second boat have been restored and installed in their original positions on the vessel’s ground floor as part of an Egyptian-Japanese project to reconstruct the ancient vessel at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).
The pieces were carefully lifted, documented, treated, and transported before being fitted onto the boat’s metal support structure, Eissa Zidan, director general of conservation and project supervisor, said.
The work is taking place inside the Khufu Boats Gallery, where visitors can watch the conservation and reassembly of the boat.
Zidan said the wooden components were in a highly fragile condition when conservation work began. The team used digital documentation, laser scanning and three-dimensional modelling to determine the position and structural relationship of individual pieces and build a database of the boat’s original configuration.
Conservation and reinforcement of the remaining wooden components is continuing, while pieces that have completed treatment are being installed on the metal support structure.
Japanese project team director Hiromasa Kurokoshi said the structure was designed to support the fragile ancient wood without placing excessive stress on the original components.
He said the design incorporates structural calculations, anticipated loads and an independent fastening system for the wooden pieces, allowing each component to be handled separately during assembly.
GEM CEO Ahmed Ghoneim described the reconstruction as a major scientific and technical challenge because of the condition of the ancient wood and the number of components requiring documentation, treatment and assembly.
“Carrying out the work in front of visitors allows them to follow the conservation process and gain insight into the scientific methods used to preserve organic archaeological artifacts, adding an educational dimension to the museum experience,” Ghoneim said.
Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy said the project draws on Egyptian and Japanese expertise in conserving organic archaeological materials and reflects the role of international cooperation in heritage conservation.
Sakuji Yoshimura, president of Higashi Nippon International University and head of the Japanese team, said the project builds on longstanding Egyptian-Japanese cooperation in archaeology and cultural heritage conservation.
He said the Japanese side would continue working with the GEM and Egyptian specialists to complete the project’s remaining stages of the project and expand the exchange of expertise and technology.
The project involves the GEM, the Supreme Council of Antiquities and Higashi Nippon International University, with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The latest work follows the installation of the first restored wooden plank of Khufu’s second boat in December 2025, which marked the start of its reassembly inside the Khufu Boats Gallery.
The second Khufu boat is an ancient Egyptian vessel whose surviving wooden components are being conserved and reassembled as part of the permanent museum display.
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