Project of the Century or Absurdity? Egypt to Restore Largest Pyramid – Will Cover It with Granite Blocks
The Egyptian authorities are planning to restore the world's archaeological heritage - the Menkaura Pyramid. The video shows the plans to restore the surface of the Menkaura pyramid, the smallest of the three main pyramids of Giza, with granite blocks that once lined part of its exterior.
This has led to criticism of the project, with one expert condemning it as "absurd".
In a video posted on social media, Mostafa Waziri, chairman of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, showed workers installing granite blocks on the base of the pyramid, which stands next to the Sphinx and the larger pyramids of Chephren and Cheops in Giza. He called it "the project of the century".
When it was originally built, the pyramid was lined with granite, but over time it lost some of its coating. The reconstruction aims to restore the original style of the structure by reconstructing the granite layer.
The restoration work will last for three years and, according to Waziri, who heads the Egyptian-Japanese mission responsible for the project, will be "Egypt's gift to the world in the 21st century".
However, dozens of upset people left critical comments on the video.
"Impossible!" wrote Egyptologist Monica Hanna.
"The only thing missing was the addition of tiles to the Menkaura pyramid! When will we stop the absurdity of Egyptian heritage management?" she asked.
"All international principles of repair prohibit such interference," she added.
She called on all archaeologists to "mobilise immediately".
Other commentators reacted with sarcasm. "When will the Leaning Tower of Pisa straightening project be scheduled?" asked one.
"Why not wallpaper the pyramids instead of tiling them?" said another.
The Menkaure project is part of a wider investment in Giza's infrastructure that includes new restaurants and visitor facilities. The Grand Egyptian Museum, which reportedly cost $1 billion and has been in development for two decades, is scheduled to open later this year.
The project is fully funded by Japanese partners.
Heritage preservation in Egypt, which accounts for 10% of gross domestic product from tourism, is often a subject of heated debate in the country.
The recent destruction of entire areas of Cairo's historic centre has led to a strong reaction from civil society, which is largely banned from political activity and is now focusing much of its struggle with the government on urban planning and heritage issues.
Also, recently, the debate over the restoration of the 15th-century Abu al-Abbas al-Morsi mosque in the coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt's second largest, has intensified.
The contractor in charge of the renovation decided to repaint the mosque's elaborate, carved and coloured ceilings white. Following this, local authorities announced an investigation.