After protests, Egyptian authorities abandoned plans to rebuild the Great Pyramids of Giza

Don't worry under any circumstances.

Egyptian archaeologists have abandoned a plan to restore the cladding of one of the three great pyramids at Giza. The Antiquities Authority rejected the proposal for the Pyramid of Menkaure after a review following an international outcry.

Photo: Global Look Press

Egypt has rejected a controversial plan to restore the ancient granite casing of the Pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the three great pyramids at Giza, says a statement from a committee formed by the country's tourism minister.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, announced the plan last month, saying it would be “the project of the century.”

But, according to The Guardian, news that the ancient monument could be quickly changed, caused an international outcry, prompting the Egyptian Antiquities Authority to reconsider the project. The pyramids are the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that still survive to this day.

Alone among the pyramids, Menkaure was designed to be faced with granite rather than limestone. Only 16-18 layers of granite were laid before construction was stopped, apparently due to the death of Menkaure around 2503 BC.

Over the centuries, theft, weathering and collapse led to Due to the disappearance of many layers, only seven remain today, although numerous fallen granite blocks are still scattered around the base of the pyramid, writes The Guardian.

Waziri said the granite replacement project would begin only after a year of scanning and documentation.

“The Menkaure Pyramid Review Committee unanimously opposed the reinstallation of granite blocks scattered around the base of the pyramid thousands of years ago,” the committee said in a statement. on antiquities.

Zahi Hawass, the former Egyptian minister of antiquities who chaired the committee, said it would be impossible to determine where each block was originally located. Replacing them would also require cement, which would destroy the pyramid.

“What I want to say is don’t worry, the Giza pyramids are safe and nothing will happen to them,” Hawass told Reuters. “People call me everywhere, write letters, e-mails. They are worried. Do not worry under any circumstances, the pyramids are safe and no one can touch the pyramid of Menkaure.”

“In archeology there is no need to rush. If you rush, you will destroy the excavation site,” Hawass said. “For any work on the site of the pyramids, it is important to do the research and tell us what to do.”