The ancient ship discovered in a pit near the Great Pyramid is the Khufu ship.
It was sealed beside the pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu at Giza around 2500 BC, during Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty. Archaeologist Kamal el-Mallakh discovered the boat pit in 1954. The vessel had been dismantled into 1,224 pieces and carefully arranged underground, helping preserve it for more than 4,500 years.
The ship is about 43.4 metres long and was built mainly from imported Lebanese cedar. It is commonly called a solar barque because Egyptians may have intended it to carry the deceased king across the heavens with the sun god Ra. However, scholars also discuss practical explanations, including use in a funerary procession or ceremonial voyage.
A common mix-up is calling it simply a “solar barge of Ra.” That describes its proposed religious function, not its canonical name. The reconstructed vessel was displayed at Giza until 2021, when it was moved to the Grand Egyptian Museum.