“When are we going to stop the absurdity in the management of Egyptian heritage?” she said, arguing that international principles of archaeological restoration generally prohibit such extensive interventions.
In response to the criticism, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities said it had formed a committee of experts to examine the project, throwing its future into uncertainty. It is expected to issue a verdict on the plan in the coming days.
Zahi Hawass, also an Egyptologist, said roughly a third of the Menkaure pyramid was originally clad with granite layers.
It was never fully encased because of the demise of Menkaure, the pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty that the pyramid was named after.
Built about 2500BC, the Pyramid of Menkaure originally stood some 65 metres tall. Over time, it has been gradually whittled away by erosion and vandalism.
Construction of new museum
The plan to restore its granite cladding forms part of a larger “project of the century” initiative to develop the Giza pyramids area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world’s most iconic archaeological destination.
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The broader plan includes building the Grand Egyptian Museum, upgrading local infrastructure, and establishing new and improved visitor facilities.
Cairo has touted the museum as the largest in the world devoted to a single civilisation. A vast structure near the Giza pyramids that has been under construction since 2005, its opening has been repeatedly delayed.
Officials hope the $US1.2 billion ($1.82 billion) attraction will provide a major boost for Egypt’s tourism industry, a crucial source of foreign currency and jobs for the country’s struggling economy, once it finally opens its doors.
The issue of heritage preservation in Egypt is often the subject of heated debate.
Recent destruction of entire areas of Cairo’s historic area led to powerful mobilisations by civil society groups, many of which are largely banned from political activity and now concentrate the bulk of their disputes with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s government on urban planning and heritage issues.
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The debate has lately focused on the 15th-century Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi mosque in the coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt’s second largest.
Local authorities announced an investigation after a contractor in charge of renovation decided to redecorate the ornate, carved and coloured ceilings of the city’s largest mosque using white paint.
The Telegraph, London
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