November 2, 1995
Web posted at: 1:50 a.m. EST
From Reporter Patricia Sagba
GIZA, Egypt (CNN) -- They've withstood the ravages of time, but now the pyramids at Giza are literally a breath away from destruction.
Each day thousands of visitors descend into the heart of these magnificent monuments. Along with their cameras and curiosity, they also bring humidity. Each huff and puff releases damaging moisture into the air.
"That is really dangerous for the interior of the pyramid," says Zahi Hawass, director of antiquities for the Giza Plateau. The humidity has caused cracks to appear and layers of limestone to fall off, he says.
So, for the next three months, the second of the three great pyramids is off-limits to visitors while a ventilation system is installed. The device is similar to the one now operating in the nearby Cheops pyramid.
"The Great Pyramid of Cheops when we did the ventilation system it became great," says Hawass. "Humidity never came again."
Along with the air, archeologists will also clear more blatant damage.
"If you have a look to this wall you can see the people don't understand anything about the pyramid because they, you know, consider the pyramid as a stone, so they put a lot of graffiti like the sign of heart and so on," says archeologist Henry Mutawadia.
Tourists pose the gravest threat to the pyramids, but the thousands of visitors who pound their way across the Giza Plateau each year also bring money to fund restoration efforts. Preservationists have devised a scheme to conserve the pyramids while meeting the demands of tourists.
"We will restore the second pyramid and open it again, and close the first pyramid -- if we do a rotation like that we are quite safe," Hawass says. (102K AIFF sound or 102K WAV sound)
All that shuffling around may be a bit inconvenient, but many tourists seem willing to go along with the plan.
"I think that's probably a good idea ... because, otherwise, if they are destroyed, they can never be rebuilt," says one tourist.
Giving the pyramids a little breathing room now will help ensure these ancient wonders will be here for generations to come. (238K QuickTime movie)
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