Last week, Egyptian authorities halted plans to renovate the Pyramid of Menkaure, citing conservation concerns about the project.
Authorities had planned to install an ancient granite cladding on Menkaure’s Pyramid, the smallest of Giza’s three main pyramids. This place is one of the seven wonders of the world.
The Menkaure Pyramid Review Committee announced Thursday that the plan had been scrapped.
“The Menkaure Pyramid Review Committee unanimously opposed the re-installation of the granite casing blocks that have been dotting the pyramid’s base for thousands of years,” the commission’s statement said. .
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This photo taken on July 1, 2020 shows the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure (from right) in the Pyramid Cemetery at Giza. (left) is shown. Southwest suburbs of Cairo, the capital of Egypt. (KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Zahi Hawass, chairman of Menkaure’s Pyramid Review Committee, was concerned that covering the blocks with cement could ruin the ancient structure. He also said it would be impossible to determine exactly where each block was.
“What I want to say is, don’t worry, the pyramids of Giza are safe and nothing will happen to them,” Hawass told Reuters. “People from all over the world are calling me, writing me letters and emails. They’re worried.”
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Tourists take a “selfie” photo with a mobile phone on a viewing platform next to the Pyramid of Menkaure in the Pyramid Cemetery of Giza on the southwest outskirts of the Egyptian capital on March 13, 2020. (Mohamed El Shahed/AFP via Getty Images)
“Don’t worry at all, the pyramid is safe, and no one can touch Menkaure’s pyramid.”
Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, called the proposal “the project of the century” when it was announced last month. Hawass emphasized the importance of proper planning for projects like this.
“In archaeology, you can’t rush. If you rush, you’ll ruin the site,” he says. “The important thing for any kind of work done at the pyramid site is to do the research and tell us what to do.”
Tourists visit the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Pharaoh Khufu) in the Pyramid Cemetery at Giza on the southwest outskirts of Cairo on March 2, 2023. (KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Reuters contributed to this report.
