An archaeologist works on parts of the second solar boat of Pharaoh Khufu at the restoration laboratory located in Giza, Egypt on March 29, 2017. Egypt opened its largest on-site antiquities laboratory to restore Pharaoh Khufu's second solar boat. King Khufu was a famous fourth dynasty Pharaoh who built the great Khufu Pyramid. His solar boat was designed to ferry him to the afterlife according to ancient Egyptian beliefs. The second solar boat of King Khufu was detected in 1987 in a large pit to the west of the first solar boat. Both boats lie on the southern side of the Khufu Pyramid at Giza. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
CAIRO, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian Antiquities Ministry inaugurated on Wednesday a temporary large laboratory for restoring artifacts at the excavation site of the Egyptian-Japanese commission in Khufu's second boat at the pyramids area in Giza.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Egyptian and Japanese archaeology officials working jointly at the site.
The laboratory is considered to be the first and largest temporary restoration facility established inside an excavation site, the ministry said in a previous press statement.
The building of the laboratory lasted from mid January till mid March.
It is equipped with the most up-to-date equipment such as modern microscopes and scales.
The cost of establishing the laboratory reached one million pounds (about 55,250 U.S. dollars) provided by Japan, according to the ministry.
The Khufu's second boat was discovered inside two pits in 1954 during a routine cleaning on the southern side of the Great Pyramid of Giza. It is believed that the ancient king built the boat to lead him to his second life.
