Egyptian officials canceled their plans to renovate the pyramid of Menkaure last week, citing preservation-related concerns over the project.
Officials planned to install cladding made of ancient granite on the pyramid of Menkaure, which is smallest of the three main Giza pyramids. The site is one of the seven wonders of the world.
The Menkaure Pyramid Review Committee announced on Thursday that its plans had been scrapped.
“The Menkaure Pyramid Review Committee has unanimously objected to the reinstallation of the granite casing blocks, scattered around the base of the pyramid since thousands of years ago,” the committee’s statement read.
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This picture taken on July 1, 2020 shows a general view of (R to L) the Great Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), the Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren), and the Pyramid of Menkaure (Menkheres) at the Giza Pyramids necropolis 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 cladding 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 pyramids of Giza are safe, and nothing will happen to them,” Hawass said to Reuters. “People everywhere are calling me, writing letters, emails. They are worried.”
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Tourists pose for a “selfie” photo on a cell phone at an overlook by 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 be worried at all, the pyramids are safe, and no one can touch the pyramid of Menkaure.”
The secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, had called the proposal “the project of the century” when it was announced last month. Hawass emphasized the importance of adequate planning with such projects.
“In archaeology, don’t be in a hurry. If you are in a hurry, you will ruin the site,” he said. “It is important for any kind of work to be done at the site of the pyramids, is to make a study and to tell us what to do.”
Tourists visit the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) at the Giza Pyramids necropolis on the southwestern outskirts of Cairo, on March 2, 2023. (KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Reuters contributed to this report.