The Step Pyramid of Djoser Re-Opens + New Pictures From Inside | Ancient...

Ancient Architects

The restoration of the Step Pyramid of Djoser began back in 2006 and now, 14 years later, what experts say is the oldest major pyramid in Egypt has finally re-opened to the public. At the end of this video, I’ll show you a gallery of new images from the pyramid so you can see just how it looks today. Thought to be around 4,700 years old, the pyramid is almost 200 feet high, dominating the Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo. It has a bizarre, unique and interesting internal layout, and inside and out it is very different to the three famous pyramids of Giza. Talking to the media, Antiquities and Tourism Minister Khaled el-Enany said: “It is the first building in the world made entirely of stone.” Problems with the pyramid’s safety began in 1992 after a powerful earthquake rocked Egypt. In total, the pyramid renovations cost more than 104 million Egyptian pounds, which is around $6.6 million. Thursday’s opening ceremony was attended by the Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouli, who said: “We are working hard to build a new Egypt… and the restoration of our heritage is at the top of our priorities.” Restoration work was halted in 2011 and 2012 because of security reasons, and recommenced in 2013. But the following year, the Egyptian media reported that the Djoser pyramid had been damaged during restoration work, with some saying that the pyramid’s original façade had been altered. At the time there was criticism from UNESCO, but they have now given the project a positive report. Egypt has revealed many exciting new discoveries in recent years, most of which I have covered on Ancient Architects, and together with the re-opening of the Step Pyramid, authorities are hoping that tourism will continue to increase. And of course, the pyramid opening comes ahead of the opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum, the centrepiece of Egypt’s tourism push, which is set to open at the end of the year.