Giza Day Cancelled, Governor Concedes
More controversy has arisen over findings of a recent study that determined construction of the Great pyramid commenced on the 23rd of August 2470 BC:
“This study is inaccurate,” said Hawass, general secretary of the Superior Council of Antiquities. “There is no clear text from the ancient history [that states] when the Great Pyramid was built. The belief that the Great Pyramid was built during the Nile flood, when there was usually no work, is completely erroneous.”
“Archaeological discoveries showed that the construction of the pyramid was a yearlong work. So, the study was not well based on archaeological evidence. Besides, when it comes to recording the history of ancient Egypt, the Supreme Council of Antiquities is the only agency having the authority to do this.”
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While conceding that there is no undisputed evidence of when the building of the Great Pyramid started, Abdul Helim Noor Al Deen, who took part in the controversial study, asserts that he and his colleagues adopted a scientific approach.
“We depended on archaeological and astronomical clues,” said Al Deen, a professor of archaeology at Cairo University. “For example, inside one of the chambers of the Great Pyramid, there is an inscription reading: ‘The 16th year of King Cheops’ rule – the first month – the flood’. This inscription, recorded by the builders of the monument, shows that the flood was necessary to submerge the area in order to help boats, on which the rocks were carried, to sail to the site,” he explained.
“We also conducted some astronomical calculations, whereby we concluded that the pyramid was built between the 22nd and 24th of August. We chose the 23rd of August as an approximate date.”
The controversy has prompted Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni to intervene and demand that the Governor of Giza cancel all future Giza Day celebrations to “allow more time for thorough investigation”.
The governor backed down.
The independent newspaper Al Youm Al Sabe this week speculated that Hosni, who is vying for Unesco’s top post, did not want to anger the Israelis, who claim their ancestors built the Giza pyramids.
“He [Hosni] needs Jewish votes for his bid in the upcoming Unesco election,” the newspaper reported, quoting an unnamed senior official at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, an affiliate of Hosni’s Ministry of Culture.
The report added that the timing of the controversy was inopportune for Hosni.
Full story: Governor stirs controversy over Great Pyramid of Giza
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