Tourists have two more months to visit the largest of the pyramids of Giza and 8 months to have time to see the top sights of Egypt before the increase in ticket prices.
Pyramid of Cheops will be closed for restoration
Egypt is preparing to begin the restoration of the Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu), the largest and oldest of the three Great Pyramids built on the Giza plateau. Its original height was almost 147 meters. The pyramid, which took 20 years to build, is made up of 2.3 million limestone blocks with an average weight of 2.5 tons each. The mummy of Pharaoh Khufu himself lived around 2579-2556. BC has not yet been found.
By the decision of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, the pyramid of Cheops will be closed to visitors from June for restoration and maintenance. How long these works will last, the Ministry of Tourism of the country does not report.
Five years ago, in Egypt, the Khafre pyramid was closed for similar “procedures” in the summer: the restorers completed it in two months. The corridors and the burial chamber were strengthened, and the lighting system was updated.
The Pyramid of Menkaure will be open to tourists
The archaeological complex of the pyramids of Giza includes three pyramids of the pharaohs of the IV dynasty of Cheops, Khafre, and Menkaur. So tourists will not be left without pyramids: instead of the tomb of Cheops, they will open the entrance to the Menkaure pyramid – the smallest of the three large pyramids in Giza.
The tomb of Menkaure is the last of the great pyramids of Giza, and Pharaoh Menkau-Ra is the last ruler of the dynasty of pyramid builders. It is the southernmost and lowest of the three Egyptian pyramids at Giza. Its height is 66 m, and the length of the side of the base is 108.4 m. The volume of the Menkaur pyramid is only 260 thousand m³: this is only a tenth of the volume of the Cheops pyramid. In ancient times, the Pyramid of Menkaure was considered the most beautiful building in Egypt.
However, this object has its advantages for tourists: it is a wider descent to the burial chambers, which are also more spacious than in the pyramid of Cheops. The interiors are also more interesting: niches with carved decorative panels can be seen, and the burial chamber is lined with massive granite blocks.
Entrance tickets to the sights of Egypt will rise in price from December
Restoration of historical objects requires considerable funds. For this reason, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities will increase prices for visiting some archaeological sites and museums in the country from December 1.
Exactly which objects will be included in this list, and what the price increase will be, has not yet been announced. The message of the Ministry of Tourism of Egypt notes that the new prices will be published on the website of the department before December 1.
However, on the air of Egyptian TV channels, representatives of the Ministry of Tourism are already talking about the need to revise prices for visiting the pyramids of Giza, the temple complex in Luxor, and the rock temples of Abu Simbel. This gives reason to assume that this will happen.