95% of Djoser pyramid restoration work finished

CAIRO - 8 October 2107: Gharib Sonbol, the head of the Central Department of Restoration and Maintenance in the Ministry of Antiquities, said that 95% of the maintenance and restoration work of the Djoser pyramid has been finished.

Renowned Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawas followed up the restoration work being carried out at the Djoser pyramid in an effort to consolidate the 4,600-year-old monument against time. The Djoser pyramid is the first stone structure in history, which was built by King Djoser, a king of Egypt’s third dynasty.

The cabinet has decided to allocate LE 15.3 million ($845,309) to support the restoration and maintenance of the pyramid. The restoration and maintenance of the pyramid had stopped since 2011, after the UNESCO report issued in September of the same year stating that the exterior facades of the pyramid had suffered from a lack of maintenance over the centuries.


In addition, there is damage caused by the removal of the dirt blocks, which led to the creation of many large cavities in several areas, as well as the appearance of many blocks hanging without the existence of any pillars to protect them.


The report also confirmed the existence of some problems in the restoration work. Later, rumors spread that the pyramid was removed from the World Heritage List.

The restoration work of the pyramid began in 2006 and was planned to end in 2009. But fears for the safety of the pyramid increased after UNESCO’s report, which acknowledged that many irregularities occurred from the company responsible for its maintenance.


These irregularities were technical, particularly in the use of limestone to plug the openings that emerged from the pyramid body, which led to the distortion of the pyramid's external shape. In addition, the excessive load on the pyramid became a real danger to the pyramid.