A Ministry of Antiquities official was charged Sunday with spreading “false news” on probable collapse of Pyramid of Djoser (4,600-year-old Step Pyramid of Sakkara) due to restorations works in 2014, according to a statement from the prosecution.
In Head of Documentation department of the Ministry Nour Abdel-Samad has previously said in media remarks that Pyramid of Djoser was due to collapse due to ‘wrong restoration’.
In response to the allegations, Damaty held a news conference by the pyramid in mid-September, during which he refuted any structural collapse or shoddy repairs to the structure. Three committees of experts, engineers from Egypt and the UNESCO have been appointed to do reports on the restoration works.
The prosecution’s order came upon reports from three committees, including members from UNESCO and Egyptian Engineering Cairo and Azhar Faculties, and archeologists, to study the restoration works. The reports pointed that due to restoration works, the pyramid is more stable but needs to complete all restoration works quickly.
The Step Pyramid, a world-heritage site listed by UNESCO, was built in the 26th century B.C. to house the mummy of Pharaoh Djoser, the founder of the Third Dynasty. It is composed of six successively smaller mastabas (benches), one on top of the other.
The pyramid was badly damaged in a 1992 earthquake, which caused severe damage to the walls of its burial chamber and the descending passages leading to it, in addition to the collapse of a huge chunk of the pyramid’s southern side.
