Egpyt has postponed plans to rebuild the cladding on one of Giza’s three great pyramids, according to a statement issued by the country’s tourism minister on Saturday (February 17).
Mostafa Waziri, the head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, announced the Menkaure Pyramid’s renovation in January, calling it “the project of the century”.
The rehabilitation operation, which intended to restore the structure’s original look by redesigning the granite layer, sparked a strong response.
This led Egypt’s antiquities ministry to review the project and form a committee to oversee it.
The ministry subsequently announced that it had formed a “scientific committee chaired by… Zahi Hawass,” a well-known Egyptian archaeologist, to assess the project.
According to the report, the committee included “experts in engineering and archaeology” from the Czech Republic, Germany, the United States, and Egypt.
The committee’s final report will include “the necessary procedures and steps to coordinate with (the UN heritage agency) UNESCO“.
“A decision will be made on whether to proceed with the project or not,” it had earlier said.
When the pyramids were erected, it was covered in granite. However, over time, pilfering and weathering eroded its various layers, leaving only seven in modern times.
Waziri had stated that the granite replacement project would not commence until after a year of scanning and documenting.
What did the review committee say?
The reviewing group announced on Thursday that it had unanimously decided not to proceed with the restoration plan, citing concerns that it may damage the structure.
“The Menkaure Pyramids Review Committee has unanimously objected to the reinstallation of the granite casing blocks, scattered around the base of the pyramid since thousands of years ago,” according to a statement issued by the group on Thursday.
The committee’s head, Hawass, stated that determining the original placement of each brick would be impossible. Replacing them would necessitate the use of cement, which would destabilize the pyramid.
“What I want to say is don’t worry, the pyramids of Giza are safe, and nothing will happen to them,” Hawass told news agency Reuters. “People everywhere are calling me, writing letters, emails. They are worried. Don’t be worried at all, the pyramids are safe, and no one can touch the pyramid of Menkaure.”
The seven-member committee first agreed to excavate the boat pits of the Menkaure pyramid, similar to the Pharaonic bark pits discovered alongside Khufu’s pyramid, but only after a “clear and detailed scientific study”.
“In archaeology, don’t be in a hurry. If you are in a hurry, you will ruin the site,” Hawass said. “It is important for any kind of work to be done at the site of the pyramids, is to make a study and to tell us what to do.”