After thorough meetings and discussions, on 15 February, the Menkaure Pyramid Review Committee unanimously rejected the proposal to restore the Menkaure Pyramid with granite casing blocks. According to Egypt State Information System, this decision was made to protect the universal and archaeological significance of the site.
Ahmed Issa, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt issued on 3 February an official decree establishing a scientific committee to to assess the architectural restoration plan for the Menkaure Pyramid at the Giza Plateau, which was planned in partnership between the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) and Waseda University’s mission in Japan, all under the leadership of renowned archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities, Zahi Hawas.
This project has sparked a debate online and people were criticizing the initiative.
“All international principles on renovations prohibit such interventions”, said Monica Hanna, the Egyptologist, according to the National News.
However, the debate is now over, as the committee disapproved of the project.
A report written by the committee and sent to Issa, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, explained, “It would be impossible to ascertain the exact original position of any of the casing blocks. Therefore, it is impossible to return any of them to their original location on the pyramid. Consequently, any re-installation of the casing blocks would change the ancient, original fabric and appearance of the pyramid, which would conceal important evidence of how the ancient Egyptians designed and built the Pyramids.”
There’s another scientific archaeological plan endorsed by the committee to study the Menkaure Pyramid, according to Al Ahram. This project would include organizing fallen granite blocks and excavating the sloping debris around the pyramid. Nonetheless, the committee insisted that no scientific or archaeological work could take place until the project director provided a thorough research proposal and work plan for discussion and evaluation. After completion, the final scientific report will be given to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to coordinate with UNESCO and the Permanent Committee for Ancient Egyptian Antiquities.
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