The Conservation Status of the Pyramid of Khufu

Abstract

The biggest Pyramid in Giza, the Pyramid of Khufu, one of the most lasting monuments ever achieved, is losing substance through mutilation, pillage and destruction, along with the degrading effects of wind, rain, and sun. Also, the daily flow of 6,000 visitors to the Pyramid of Khufu produce water vapor, carbon dioxide, and heat that forms condensation on the inner walls which become salt deposits that damage those walls.The Tura limestone coatings of the Pyramid of Khufu have been removed over time to build the city of Cairo. This pilferage lasted for centuries and left the Great Pyramid with few traces of its white limestone coating.Changing the environment of the Giza Plateau to green vegetation would shield the Great Pyramids, affected by the deterioration factors related to weather and the arid climate of the Sahara desert. This environmental intervention returns the plateau to its original arrangement of ancient Egypt, when it had canal systems and cisterns for conserving water for domestic and agricultural use. These canals should be found and renovated and made operative. Removal of the fence surrounding the archaeological site to create an (archaeological basin) would reinstate the once pleasant mingling of tourists and locals.

Keywords: Egypt, Giza, Desert, Limestone, Deterioration, Environment.