Solar barque

The Sun God's Special Boats

In ancient Egypt, people told stories about a special god named Ra. Ra was the sun god, and he needed special boats to travel every day. These boats were called solar barques.

During the day, Ra used a boat named the Mandjet. This boat sailed through the bright sky, bringing sunlight to everyone below. Many other important gods would ride with Ra on this journey.

When night came, Ra switched to another boat called the Mesektet. This boat sailed through the dark, helping Ra finish his journey and return for the next sunrise.

Because Ra was very important, people believed their kings, or pharaohs, would also use special boats after they passed away. One famous boat was the Khufu ship, buried near a big pyramid. Today, you can see it in the Giza Solar boat museum or the Grand Egyptian Museum.