Egypt oldest pyramid Djoser reopens 14-year restoration

AFP

Egyptian authorities reopened the 4,700-year-antique step pyramid of Djoser to the public on Thursday, after years of renovation.

The roughly 60-metre-high (nearly 200 feet) pyramid dominates the sizeable Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo, and is part of the historic capital of Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

"We completed the recuperation ... Of the first and oldest pyramid in Egypt, that of King Djoser, the founder of the Old Kingdom," Antiquities and Tourism Minister Khaled el-Enany said on Thursday at the site.

It is "the first building inside the global made totally of stone", Enany added.

The Old Kingdom is referred to as the age of pyramid builders.

Dating to 2,680 BC, the Djoser pyramid became built below the route of architect Imhotep.

A 1992 earthquake caused significant damage to the monument's interior.

Renovations commenced in 2006 however had been interrupted in 2011 and 2012 for "security reasons", before resuming in 2013, said Ayman Gamal Eddine, project manager on the antiquities ministry.

A popular rebellion in Egypt in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak, with tourism one of the sectors that took a hit within the turmoil that followed.

Thursday's reopening turned into attended by means of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli in addition to overseas ambassadors.

The premier said the renovation value greater than 104 million Egyptian pounds ($6.sixty six million).

"We are working hard to build a new Egypt ... And the recovery of our heritage is at the top of our priorities," Madbouli said.

The significant Grand Egyptian Museum, overlooking the Giza pyramids, is set to open at the give up of this year, 5 years later than firstly planned.

Controversy erupted in 2014 when Egyptian media reported that the Djoser pyramid had been damaged during restoration work, with several Egyptian NGOs announcing the monument's original facade have been altered.

Enany said on Thursday that after complaint from UNESCO experts, works were undertaken in conformity with the UN body's norms and "in 2018, UNESCO gave us positive reports".

Egypt has touted a flurry of archaeological finds in current years, within the hope of boosting its crucial tourism sector, which has suffered multiple shocks for the reason that 2011 uprising.

Last year, government unveiled a 4,500-year-antique burial ground close to the Giza pyramids replete with colourful timber coffins and limestone statues.

In November 2018, the ministry announced the discovery of 7 sarcophagi, some relationship back more than 6,000 years, at a website on the edge of the pyramid complex in Saqqara. Dozens of mummified cats have been also found.

Egypt's visitor arrivals reached 11.3 million in 2018, up from 5.three million in 2016.

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