12 - 18 July 2001
Issue No.542
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 12 - 18 July 2001 Issue No.542 |
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Treasures on display
After 18 months of restoration, Khafre's pyramid has been reopened to the public and so are the tombs of three noblemen. Nevine El-Aref visits the site
Another stage of the long-term restoration project for the Giza plateau has been completed. Khafre's pyramid, the second largest of the three Great Pyramids at Giza, is back in the limelight along with three tombs of noblemen lying to the west of Khufu's pyramid. The tombs are open to the public for the first time.
As part of a rotation system introduced to maintain and restore monuments, a decision was taken by Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni to close Menkaure's pyramid, the smallest of the three pyramids, for one year. Under this system, one pyramid is closed each year while the other two remain open to visitors.
Restoration work on Khafre's pyramid began in January 1999 after humidity levels of 80 per cent were recorded and it was discovered that salt encrustation was contributing to the monument's rapid deterioration. Hosni explained that each person visiting the pyramid exhales about 20 grammes of water vapour.
Cracks caused by the accumulation of salt have been filled, the walls of the pyramid's passageways and the king's chamber were cleaned of salt residue and visitors' graffiti. A damaged stairway, leading from the main doorway to the king's burial chamber, has been replaced by a new wooden one.
The three newly-restored tombs of noblemen are located within the western cemetery of Khufu's pyramid which contains tombs of officials during the Pharaoh's reign as well as other tombs dating from the fourth to the eighth dynasties.
"Although these tombs may be poor in decoration, they are rich in architectural features," said Gaballa Ali Gaballa, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA). The tombs, which comprise large chambers with rock-hewn pillars, have impressive facades more akin to those found in temples, said Gaballa.
The first tomb belongs to Dua En Re, son of King Khafre and half-brother and minister of King Menkaure. The most impressive scene decorating the tomb's wall features the deceased crawling on the ground followed by two groups of people -- one group carries an altar and the other prepares animals for slaughter.
The second tomb belongs to Imry, Khufu's priest and administrative overseer of the royal court. Zahi Hawass, director-general of Giza plateau and Bahariya oasis, explained that its walls are decorated with a number of vividly-coloured paintings depicting the tomb's owner with his family in scenes of daily life.
The third tomb belongs to Neferbau Petah, an overseer of the royal estates. It dates to the middle of the fifth dynasty of the Old Kingdom and its western wall is decorated with a statue of the tomb's owner. "Scenes depicting the harvest are the most beautiful of the drawings in the tomb," said Hawass.
According to Gaballa, the restoration work on the three tombs included cleaning and reinforcing walls and installing lighting and ventilation systems. New ceilings and roofs have been added as well as wooden floor coverings.
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