Multiple Challenges, In-Depth Technical Feats Deliver King Khufu Solar Boat to Grand Egyptian Museum

For the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, the BESIX-Orascom Construction joint venture, with the support of its subcontractor Sarens and in cooperation with the Egyptian authorities, has carried out the transport of the King Khufu Solar Boat from the archaeological site of the Giza pyramids to a dedicated building within the Grand Egyptian Museum, located in al-Giza, Egypt.

Inherited from ancient Egypt, the King Khufu Solar Boat is considered to be the oldest intact ship in the world. Presumably built for King Khufu, it was placed around 2500 B.C. in a pit at the foot of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Discovered in 1954 by the Egyptologist Kamal el-Mallakh, the King Khufu Solar Boat has been presented to the public since 1985 in the Giza Solar Boat Museum, a few meters from where it was found.

The Grand Egyptian Museum is also a building of rare complexity, built on the Giza Plateau in perfect alignment and respect for the angles formed by the three pyramids. With a total surface area of 490,000 square meters, the building required the JV team to achieve unprecedented technical feats in the contemporary construction sector.

The operation began with the careful extraction of the King Khufu Solar Boat. Weighing 45 tons, with a length of 43.6 meters and a width of 5.9 meters, it was lifted and installed to the centimeter in a secure 60 ton steel cage, made to measure for the operation. This extraction was carried out by driving a self-propelled modular transporter into the building, in such a way as not to jeopardize the integrity of the ship. This required taking into account multiple parameters, including the relatively strong wind on the Giza plateau and very little room for maneuvering due to the narrow structure of the existing building and the delicate archeological environment.

For the transport, the convoy was fully remote-controlled and reached its destination at a speed of 1 kilometer per hour. It left the pyramid area via a narrow ramp winding between the Giza monuments and then traveled a distance of 8.5 kilometers before reaching its final destination. The route chosen, which was much longer than the bird’s-eye distance between the pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, is explained by the stability of the roads used, the size of the convoy and the necessity to navigate safely through an area abounding with archeological heritage.

Finally, to place the King Khufu Solar Boat into its new dedicated building within the Grand Egyptian Museum complex, it was raised by an 800 ton crawler crane to a height of 30 meters. This allowed it to enter through the roof of the building and be installed with centimeter accuracy in the exact position where future visitors will be able to admire it.