Egypt's ancient pyramids saved from collapse

British engineers have wrapped up the mummy of all repair jobs after concluding a £7 million ($9 million) restoration project on Egypt's oldest pyramid.

World Heritage and the Egyptian Government hired Newport, South Wales, based firm Cintec to repair the damage to the pyramid back in 2010, the Daily Mail reports.

Cintec has repaired bridges, mosques and pyramids worldwide, and has worked on some of the world's most famous buildings and structures, such as Buckingham Palace, The Statue of Liberty and the White House.  

Located northwest of the city of Memphis, in the Saqqara necropolis, the 4,700-year-old Step Pyramid - which is also known as the Pyramid of Djoser - was at imminent risk of collapse after a magnitude 8.5 earthquake hit Egypt in October 1992.

The quake partially collapsed the burial chamber and left the pyramid's walls crumbling. 

Giant air bags were used to help support the monument while engineers stitched the stone structure back together using steel rods.

'The Step Pyramid project was of particular importance to us as the entire structure could have been destroyed at any point, due to the damage on the ceiling and roof caused by the earthquake,’ said Cintec Managing Director Peter James.

The six-step pyramid, constructed on top of the tomb of the Pharoah Djoser during Egypt's third dynasty, is thought to be the country's earliest colossal stone structure.

Mummified remains were recovered at the site in the 1930s. 

The air bags used by the engineering firm to temporarily support the ceiling allowed repairs to the crumbling structure of the 196 foot (60 metre) high pyramid to be undertaken. 

The technology - which can apply very precise pressures as needed - was originally developed by Mr James to help safely contain and dispose of unexploded bombs in Afghanistan.