Video showing renovation of pyramid in Egypt sparks outrage online

People are flooding to social media to weigh in on a video of a restoration project taking place on an Egyptian pyramid.

Egypt's Menkaure pyramid at Giza - built between 2532 and 2515 BC - is currently undergoing restorative work, with some of the process having been recorded and shared to social media.

However, despite some praising the project, others have been quick to criticise the restoration team's methods:

The head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, took to Facebook on Friday (3 February) to share an insight into the process.

Waziri - who is in charge of the Egyptian-Japanese project - said the team hopes to 'reassemble the granite blocks' of the third Pyramid.

Basically, when the pyramid was first built, it's outer layer consisted of granite blocks.

However, some of the granite blocks are either worn or some have fallen off completely over time - Waziri saying as a result of an earthquake - and so the team is working to replace them.

The project is anticipated as taking a whopping three years.

Getty Images/ KHALED DESOUKI/ AFP

One Facebook user said: "[Translation] Ancient Egyptians built pyramids with stones almost consistent in size .. Why is the restoration not done the same consistency and the exterior is geometrically acceptable??

"What we notice is that each stone has a different size and the result will be a random exterior shape unlike ancient Egyptian architecture!!"

Another wrote: "[Translation] OK, why the greatness of the pyramids is not in their shape but at the foot of the rocks and their size is strange, what is the use when you hide the original stones?"

Facebook/ Dr. Mostafa Waziry

A third commented: "[Translation] Excavation of the base is a good idea but the rest will just further damage what remains of the pyramid. How can you think it's your job to alter the pyramid after 4500 years?"

A fourth - Egyptologist Monica Hanna - added: "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? All international principles on renovations prohibit such interventions."

And a final resolved: "[Translation] When will the project to straighten the Tower of Pisa be planned?"

However, others praised the renovation. A user said: "[Translation] Good luck, God willing."

"Powerful project and well spoken," a second added.

And another resolved: "Great job good luck everyone."

UNILAD has contacted Mostafa Waziri for comment.

Topics: Facebook, Social Media, World News, Viral

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.