A video showcasing renovation work on Egypt’s Menkaure Pyramid at Giza has ignited social media criticism, with some experts denouncing it as “absurd.” Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, hailed it as the “project of the century.”
In the video posted on Facebook, workers are seen placing granite blocks on the pyramid’s base, aiming to restore its original style by reconstructing the lost granite layer. The project, slated to last three years, is led by Waziri as part of the Egyptian-Japanese mission.
Despite Waziri’s enthusiasm, the video sparked negative reactions on social media. Egyptologist Monica Hanna criticized the work, stating, “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 urged archaeologists to “mobilize immediately” and pointed out that international principles on renovations prohibit such interventions.
Sarcastic comments also flooded in, questioning the decision to renovate and comparing it to wallpapering or straightening the Tower of Pisa. The ongoing debate highlights the challenges of heritage preservation in Egypt, where tourism plays a significant economic role.
Recent incidents, such as the destruction in Cairo’s historic area, have triggered strong reactions from civil society, which focuses its opposition to the government on urban planning and heritage issues. The controversy extends to other landmarks, like the fifteenth-century Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi mosque in Alexandria, where a contractor’s decision to repaint the mosque’s ornate ceilings in white sparked an investigation by local authorities.
