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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 June 1999 Issue No. 432 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 June 1999 Issue No. 432
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Interview Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Gala opening at Giza necropolis
By Nevine El-ArefAt a gala ceremony, Culture Minister Farouk Hosni will open today the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the valley temple of the Sphinx and three noblemen's tombs, located to the south of the pyramid on the Giza Plateau. The monuments had undergone extensive restoration work.
Gaballa Ali Gaballa, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), will officiate at the same ceremony.
Restoration work on Khufu's pyramid, which began in April 1998, became necessary after the humidity rate inside soared to 80 per cent and salt encrustation caused rapid deterioration.
Zahi Hawass, director-general of the Giza Plateau, explained that each visitor to the pyramid exhales about 20 grammes of water vapour, which causes humidity and salt accumulation that, in turn, result in cracks in the pyramid's inner walls. "The Grand Gallery at the pyramid had 300 cracks," said Hawass.
Now, the cracks have been restored and the walls of the Grand Gallery cleaned of the salt residue and graffiti left by some of the visitors. A dilapidated stairway, leading from the main doorway to the king's burial chamber, has been replaced by a new wooden one. Both the first and second chambers, wrongly known as the queen's chambers, have also been restored and will be opened today for the first time.
A new state-of-the-art ventilation system has been installed by a French mission. Gaballa explained that this system activates the air circulation inside the pyramid through two vents installed beside the original air shafts on the northern and southern sides of the king's burial chamber.
Workers restoring the facade of Seshem-Nefer's tomb, keeper of the king's secrets photo: Khaled El-Fiqi
According to Ancient Egyptian belief, the two shafts were necessary for the exit of the king's soul. Hawass said the new vents will constantly be renewing the air inside the pyramid.
In cooperation with the Sound and Light Company, a new type of lighting that emits no heat has been installed in the king's burial chamber and in the corridors and passages leading to it.
Hosni said a new rotation system has been introduced, under which one of the three Giza Pyramids will be closed for restoration each year, while the two others will remain open. To further protect Khufu's pyramid, the number of daily visitors has been reduced to 300, Hosni added.
The valley temple of the Sphinx is the oldest monument devoted to sun worship. It has two niches, one on the eastern side for sunrise rituals and the second on the western side for sunset rituals. It also has 24 pillars, representing the hours of the day and night. The temple was discovered at the beginning of the century. The restoration work included the relocation of blocs to their original positions and repairing wall cracks with mortar, made up of lime and sand.
The three noblemen's tombs, located south of Khufu's pyramid, will also be opened for the first time. "Although these tombs may be poor in decoration, they are rich in architectural features," said Hosni. Discovered early this century, the tombs have impressive facades, more like temples than tombs, and large chambers with rock-hewn pillars, he added. The first one belongs to Seshem-Nefer, the overseer of the two seats of the House of Life and the keeper of the king's secrets. "It is one of the largest tombs on the Giza Plateau," said Hawass, adding that it contains funerary, hunting and offering scenes, as well as a depiction of the owner's daily life.
The second tomb belongs to Nefer-Maat, the son and vizier of King Khafre. Its walls are decorated with scenes showing the owner's daily life with his family and dog.
The third one belongs to Senefru-Kha-Ef, the king's treasurer and priest of the god Apis. Its inner walls also have typical scenes of the deceased and his children.
According to Hawass, the walls of the three tombs have been cleaned and reinforced, graffiti left by visitors removed and inscriptions and paintings conserved. Walls are now protected by wood, and lighting and ventilation systems have been installed.
