Al-Masry Al-Youm obtained a copy of the UNESCO report on the restoration of the Saqqara pyramid that the Ministry of Antiquities has kept secret for three years, merely saying that it approves of the renovations and denying the risks mentioned.
UNESCO had sent a mission to the pyramid from 26 to 29 September 2011 to determine the size of the damage and the restoration work.
In its report, which Al-Masry Al-Youm will publish in full on Saturday, UNESCO said the external facade of the pyramid has not been maintained for centuries, and that it was damaged by the continuous removals of blocks, creating large cavities in several areas with blocks dangerously hanging unsupported.
It also said certain that certain stones were replaced with others that are not original, and that the filling of the cavities is too weak to carry weights.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
