Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled Al-Anani speaks during the inauguration ceremony in Saqqara necropolis, Giza province, Egypt, March 5, 2020. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly inaugurated on Thursday the Step Pyramid of Djoser in the Saqqara necropolis near the capital Cairo, after the completion of its restoration. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
CAIRO, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly inaugurated on Thursday the Step Pyramid of Djoser in the Saqqara necropolis near the capital Cairo, after the completion of its restoration.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled Al-Anani, Minister of Housing Assem Al-Jazzar and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mustafa Waziri.
Madbouly told reporters that it took almost 14 years to fully restore the pyramid, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at a cost of more than 104 million Egyptian pounds (6.66 million U.S. dollars).
The restoration of the Step Pyramid, the oldest stone construction in the world, began in 2006 but had to stop in 2011, he said.
The Egyptian antiquities ministry resumed the restoration work at the end of 2013, the prime minister added.
Sabry Farag, director of the Saqqara archaeological site, said the pyramid is now in perfect state of repair.
"The project was meant to fully restore the pyramid ... We restored the four facades of the construction," he told Xinhua.
In addition to the facades, the restoration work also covered the pyramid's installations and the stairs of the southern and eastern entrances, Farag noted.
The Step Pyramid was designed and built by the architect Imhotep in the 27th century BC during the Third Dynasty to hold the mummy of Pharaoh Djoser.
As one of the most ancient civilizations, Egypt has been working hard to preserve its rich archaeological heritage.
