Egypt Reopens Great Sphinx After 3 Years

Egypt on Sunday reopened the Great Sphinx, the Menkaure Pyramid and the near Amenhotep II Museum in Giza after three years of restoration.



Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damati said some cracks had previously appeared on the left side of the statue of the mythical creature, which has the body of a lion and a human head.



Al-Damati clarified that the cracks had especially appeared on left side rock blocs used during a restoration process in the 1980s.



He added that the neck and the chest of the statue were also restored, noting that the statue had negatively been affected by weathering and erosion over the years and that it had not been restored since 2010.



Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab attended the inauguration of statue, the pyramid and the museum on the Giza pyramids plateau, along with Tourism Minister Hesham Zaazou.



Mahlab described the restored monuments as "sacred", adding that his government would not allow any violations against Egypt's monuments in the future.



The Menkaure Pyramid was closed for three years during the restoration process, according to the Antiquities Ministry.



The Great Sphinx is the oldest known monumental structure in the world.



Egyptian officials have hopes that the inauguration of the world-famous ancient monuments would perk up their country's tourism sector, which was hard hit by the political turmoil that has persisted since a popular uprising ousted long serving president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.



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