Posted on 01/30/2024 12:05:17 PM PST by nickcarraway
A plan to restore one of the Giza pyramids is being slammed by archaeologists, who have compared it to “straightening the Tower of Pisa.”
The project—which is already in motion—aims to reconstruct the outer casing of granite on the Pyramid of Menkaure’s four sides, and is a partnership between the Egyptian government and Japanese archaeologists. The facade is being constructed with the original blocks scattered around the pyramid’s base. According to the project team, the blocks were dislodged during an earthquake within the last thousand years.
Related Articles Google Arts and Culture's Art Selfie 2. Google Brings Back App that Turns Selfies Into Famous Artworks by van Gogh, Rembrandt, and More Florence Museum Director Says Tourism Has Turned the City Into a 'Prostitute,' Drawing Pushback A video posted to Facebook on Friday by Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, shows workers laying granite blocks at the base of the pyramid, which is located next to the Great Sphinx and the Khafre and Cheops pyramids.
The Pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the three pyramids in the Giza complex, originally had 16 granite blocks comprising its outer casing, but only seven survive today.
“There have been numerous projects throughout history that have been dubbed ‘Project of the Century,’ but, in my opinion, the task of restoring the granite casing of the Menkaure Pyramid is as significant and crucial,” Waziri says in the video. He called the project “a gift from Egypt to the world” that will allow the “first complete viewing” of Menkaure pyramid in the modern era.
The video, however, has drawn ire and mockery from experts.
“Impossible,” Egyptologist Monica Hanna said, as quoted by the AFP. “The only thing missing was to add tiling to the pyramid of Menkaure! When are we going to stop the absurdity in the management of Egyptian heritage?”
She added: “All international principles on renovations prohibit such interventions.”
Other commentors joked that the project team should include wallpaper and a paint job, or asked, “When will the project to straighten the Tower of Pisa be planned?” The Leaning Tower of Pisa has been stabilized to keep it upright.
Still more critics questioned the wisdom of a costly project during Egypt’s recent economic downturn. Per the National, $32 billion in loan repayments are due this year. The debt crisis is compounded by high inflation and a steep drop in trade through the Suez Canal, a key means of income for the Egyptian government.
In an interview with a state-affiliated media outlet, Waziri sought to allay criticism of the project, saying its first stage will be paid for by Japan.
Why not waste money building a new and improved one ,LOL
And to think of all the money that could be better spent elsewhere.
The pyramids were built with alien technology and cannot be rebuilt without their help. Change my mind.
The pyramids belong to Egypt. They should be able to restore them if they choose. They restored Djozer’s Step Pyramid over a 14 year period, and now people can go inside once again. It was damaged in 1922 by an earthquake and experts feared its collapse.
The cliche is that the pyramids were tombs to honor dead Egyptians.
However,
“No contemporaneous bodies, mummies or human remains have ever been found in any of the Old Kingdom pyramids.”
History.
P.S. All those old kings were slaveholders.
Ping
Egypt is a massively corrupt state. One trip there was enough for me not to want to return to see everything I missed.
I thought the aliens left an instruction manual.
If what you say is true, then Egypt should look to be paying reparations to all the slave decedents instead of rebuilding a massive symbol of slavery.
Maybe those people in California calling for reparations can advise the Egyptians.
could you share something of your trip, i’m wondering what you saw that wasn’t good
The idiocracy burns. Any country in a economic downturn with incredible debt should not be wasting time and money on big ticket items that are very low in priority. One would think that’s common sense
I’m guessing tourism is one of the major industries in Egypt, but I’m not sure this would help.
“If” what I said is true? May I refer you to the Hebrew slaves (among others) the Egyptians held until the days of Moses and Joshua. Those buildings, statues and pyramids were built with slave labor including Hebrews and others.
Its a great idea. What the Japanese know is quite straight forward.
“Build it and they will come.”
Thats what happened at Ise Jingu.
So there is more to Egypt than meets the eye of Horus.
Just from reading the headline, I thought they were going to add minarets.
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