An entertaining article on the American Scientist website, describing how the Ottoman viceroy Mohammad Ali Pasha proposed, as part of his plans for modernization, to create barrages in Lower Egypt using the the Giza pyramids for construction material. the story comes from the "Memoirs" of the Chief Engineer, who eventually became Minsiter of Public Works, French-born Linant de Bellefonds. "Linant recounts that he did not object or directly counter the viceroy. Rather, he wisely used less conspicuous means. First, he requested permission to study the Giza site to assess the demolition task and provide a logistical plan. He also organized a preliminary visit with the Egyptian ministers of foreign affairs, public works and education. Linant compiled a careful report, which compared the cost of using material scavenged from pyramids versus newly cut stone from quarries, surmising that the quarry material would be cheaper." See the article for the analysis of the pyramids from the perspective of a raw material, and for the rest of the story.
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