King Khufu's boat is the oldest and largest wooden boat ever discovered in Egypt, and this week, it was painstakingly moved from its longstanding home next to the Great Pyramid of Giza to a nearby museum, officials said Saturday.
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The 4,600-year-old vessel, also known as the Solar Boat, founds its home in the Grand Egyptian Museum, slated to be inaugurated later this year.
Video: Reuters
"We decided to move the boat in order to protect and preserve for future generations the biggest and oldest organic artifact made of wood in the history of humanity," the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said in a statement.
It took 48 hours to move the cedar boat, which is 42 meters (138 feet) long and weighs 20 tons, to its new home. It was transported using a metal construction and a remote-controlled vehicle that were brought in especially for the project, General Supervisor Ateh Moftah said.
The boat, discovered in 1954 at the southern corner of the Great Pyramid, has been exhibited for decades at its original locaton. Egypt says the Grand Egyptian Museum, which has been under construction intermittently for 17 years, will exhibit more than 100,000 artifacts when it opens.
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