Rejection of Restoration Project for “Menkaure Pyramid” in Egypt
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Thursday the rejection by the High Scientific Committee, formed to review the architectural restoration project of the Menkaure Pyramid in the pyramid antiquities area, of reinstalling any of the granite blocks around the pyramid’s body, insisting on the necessity to preserve the pyramid’s current state.
The Scientific Committee, chaired by archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities Dr. Zahi Hawass, and including 6 prominent scientists and experts specialized in the fields of archaeology and engineering, Egyptians and foreigners from the United States, the Czech Republic, and Germany, prepared a report on the project and presented it to the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Issa.
The report stated that the Committee unanimously agreed not to approve the reinstallation of any of the granite blocks around the body of the Menkaure Pyramid and emphasized the importance of preserving the pyramid’s current state without any additions, due to its exceptional global archaeological value.
According to the report, “The original form of the pyramid’s casing can be inferred from the seven courses currently present on the pyramid’s body for thousands of years.”
The Committee affirmed that it is impossible to ascertain the precise and original location of any of these granite blocks on the pyramid’s body, and that their reinstallation would cover the existing evidence of the ancient Egyptians’ methods and techniques for pyramid construction.
As per the report, the Committee gave preliminary approval to undertake archaeological excavations to search for boat pits of the Menkaure Pyramid (similar to those near the Khufu and Khafre pyramids), provided there are clear and detailed scientific reasons presented in a study submitted to the High Scientific Committee before the commencement of these excavations, and that the work does not solely focus on the idea of searching for boat pits or boats.
