Egyptian officials canceled their plans to renovate the Menkaure pyramid last week, citing concerns related to the project's preservation.
Authorities planned to install an ancient granite facing on the Menkaure pyramid, which is the smallest of the three main pyramids at Giza. The site is one of the seven wonders of the world.
The Menkaure Pyramid Review Committee announced Thursday that its plans had been scrapped.
“The Menkaure Pyramid Review Committee has unanimously opposed the reinstallation of the granite facing blocks, scattered around the base of the pyramid for thousands of years,” the committee's statement read.
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This photograph taken on July 1, 2020 shows a general view of (from right to left) the Great Pyramid of Cheops (Cheops), the Pyramid of Cheops (Chephren) and the Pyramid of Menkaure (Menkheres) in the Necropolis of the Pyramids of Giza on the southwestern outskirts of the Egyptian capital, Cairo. (KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)
The head of the Menkaure Pyramid Review Committee, Zahi Hawass, was concerned about coating the blocks with cement, which could ruin the ancient structure. He also said it would be impossible to determine exactly where each block had been.
“What I want to say is don't worry, the Giza pyramids are safe and nothing will happen to them,” Hawass told Reuters. “People from all over call me, write me letters and emails. They are worried.”
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Tourists pose for a “selfie” photo on a cell phone at a viewing point next to the Pyramid of Menkaure (Menkheres) at the Giza Pyramids Necropolis on the southwestern outskirts of the Egyptian capital on March 13, 2020. (MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP via Getty Images)
“Don't worry at all, the pyramids are safe and no one can touch the Menkaure pyramid.”
The secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, called the proposal “the project of the century” when it was announced last month. Hawass emphasized the importance of proper planning in these types of projects.
“In archaeology, don't be in a hurry. If you're in a hurry, you'll ruin the site,” he said. “The important thing for any type of work done at the site of the pyramids is to do a study and to be told what to do.”
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Tourists visit the Great Pyramid of Cheops (Cheops) at the Pyramids of Giza necropolis on the southwestern outskirts of Cairo, March 2, 2023. (KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Reuters contributed to this report.
