If Italy proposed a project to straighten the Leaning Tower of Pisa, everyone would be surprised, right? After all, the steepness of the tower is one of its most striking features and attracts tourists from all over the world. Well: Something along these lines is happening with the Pyramid of Menkaure, also known as the Pyramid of Menkaure, part of the famous Giza Necropolis complex.
This is because it is very different from its original state — as the pyramids were when they were built in Antiquity. Many of the granite blocks that covered it fell over time. Furthermore, a sultan tried to destroy the pyramid but gave up, leaving a hole in the middle of the structure. Egypt’s idea is to restore all of this.
Teams are excavating the surroundings of the pyramid to find the lost granite blocks, which are also being replaced. The renovation began in January 2024 and is expected to take three years to complete. That is if the controversies do not suspend the work.
A gift from the Greeks in Egypt (Pyramid of Menkaure)
Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, describes the restoration as “the project of the century“. The idea is to return the Pyramid of Menkaure to its original state, with the extra layers of granite — and without the characteristic hole in the middle of one of the faces.
Going further in his excitement about the project, Waziri also states that this would be “Egypt’s gift to the world in the 21st century”. The problem is that many experts, as well as a large part of the public, disapproved of the project.
“The only thing left to do was tile the Pyramid of Mencherinos!“, commented Egyptologist Monica Hanna in a Facebook post announcing the start of work. According to her, “all international restoration principles prohibit this type of intervention.”
The preservation of historical heritage in Egypt has long generated heated debates. The last major controversy involved a mosque in Alexandria, the country’s second-largest city: the contractors in charge of the restoration decided to paint the mosque’s ceiling — which was full of paintings and ornaments — entirely white.
From what we can tell, experts fear that Egyptian restoration projects will end in disasters like the Ecce Homo painting — with the works looking even worse than they were before.
The smallest of the three pyramids
Of the three main pyramids — Cheops, Chephren, and Menquerinos — the one being restored is the smallest. Cheops, also known as the Great Pyramid of Giza, is 138 meters high. While Chephren’s is 136 meters and Micahrine’s is “only” 61.
It is said that the pharaoh buried there reigned for a short time. Therefore, he was unable to build such a large pyramid.
But in addition to its smaller size, the Pyramid of Menkaure stands out for the square hole. Right in the middle of one of its faces. It is attributed to Sultan Al-Aziz Uthman: in 1196 AD. He ordered the destruction of the pyramids, starting with this one.
However, Al-Aziz discovered that destroying the pyramids was almost as difficult as building them. Employees were able to remove only a few stones a day — and when they did, they sank into the sand. So, the sultan gave up, leaving only this “hole” in the structure. Some of these stones are the ones that Egypt wants to put back in place in 2024.