It was my understanding that those who worked on the pyramids did so during the agricultural year down time.. when the Nile was in flood? So the cost in Labor may not have been that great - can't have the laborers lolling about. but those who know more about the period may correct me. As for whether modern civilisation now regret that the pyramids were built, of course we don't.. They happened. Should we build monstrosities now in case they become tourism attractions 5,000 years later? I would have said not.. but we seem to build them anyway.. We can be just as wasteful as the Pharoahs, just for different reasons..

What is common to all those projects is that only few benefit.

The Sydney Opera House have increased the price of tickets thus makes opera less affordable for most people, especially for those who don't live in Sydney; and those who built the pyramids could, with similar effort build themselves better and more comfortable houses.

The fact that some gain from tourism, ignores the millions of tourists whose purse turns lighter as a result, often because they are chided by their snobbish colleagues for "haven't seen it yet".

Perhaps the like of the pyramids of today is the prestigious space program, sending a handful of people out to the moon and Mars and giving everyone else the illusion as if humanity has alternatives in case it kills the environment of this planet.

Yes, let's wallow in regrets.

The pyramids shouldn't have been built.

Greek temples etc. shouldn't have wasted all that effort and labour of working people.

Hammurabi shouldn't have organised all those irrigation works, it must have disrupted all the riverine ecosystems.

Charlemagne shouldn't have done whatever evil he did, I don't know specifically but I'm sure he did evil of some sort.

Alfred shouldn't have burn the cakes.

The Ottomans shouldn't have captured Constantinople.

The Polynesians shouldn't have colonised the Pacific, for some obscure reason.

Boy, I'm glad I got that out of my system.

Now, infrastructure in the modern world: what real harm would it do if India had a water storage and reticulation system as effective as Australia's ? Electrification across the country ? A medical system equal to Australia's ? A system of paved roads like here ? Ports to handle all the necessary in and out of goods ? A decent education system, especially for girls, to provide staff for all of those projects ? Eventually, affluence like Australia's ?

And Africa too ? What would be the harm of all Third World countries striving to develop similar infrastructure to Australia's ?

Or aren't they human beings like us, they have naturally fewer rights than us ?

Joe

I agree with Curmudgeon the pyramids was basically a work for the dole scheme that got a bit out of hand. :-)
(~\_/~)

The opera House is a catastrophe. A miserable little singing hall, with lousy acoustics, clad in a pretentious roof. The whole thing cost 10 times what a decent opera house would have cost, money that could have built good singing halls in each capital.

The pyramids were a statement of incredible strength, unlike the opera house a statement of incredible ego. The mere fact the Egyptians could build them put fear into all their enemies.

Building the pyramids did a lot of good for average Egyptians, with jobs & cowering their enemies. The opera house on the other hand cost the average NSW a great deal of money, for absolutely no tangible benefit, but an on going cost, to cater to a small elite.

Building the pyramids was a great engineering feat
requiring thousands of workers. The remains of these
pyramids are still impressive.

The Australian Opera House (the first in Australia)
was built in Sydney and the architectural design
made world headlines. Despite its cost and complications
in building, it has become one of the foremost cultural
attractions of Australia. The Opera House can seat more
than 6,600 spectators. Its halls provide facilities for
symphony concerts, opera, drama, ballet, films. solo
recitals, exhibitions and conventions. The roof shells
cover the two largest performing halls and a restaurant.

The financing for this huge building was raised by public
appeal, and, later, by profits from lotteries run for the
purpose. The lotteries raised more than 5,500,000 Australian
dollars a year. The Opera House finally had its gala opening
in 1973. And has been playing to packed houses every since.

The tram depot that was demolished to make way for the Opera House was far more useful than its successor and a building that fitted its surroundings much better.

The Opera House may have many halls but the toilets were woefully inadequate, don't know what the women's were like but the Gents had the spectacle of five or more desperate men all using a single bowl (seat up of course) at the same time to urinate and with a queue in front of each crowded cubicle.
Things may have changed as it's a few years since I was in the ghastly building, I'm told that there are now lifts to the upper levels.

The Opera House ought to be sealed up like the Pyramids, it would still be a tourist attraction and it could be left to moulder away and cost the taxpayer virtually nothing.

Who really believes the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids, certainly not me!

Too much superb engineering and the logistics just don't add up, perhaps a rethink is necessary?

It is interesting that with all the recorded history the Ancient Egyptians left, including details of flood years, harvests, conquests, treasury records, life stories of the elite, etc., there is no mention of constructing the pyramids. It's also interesting there are no ruins of any elaborate palaces.

5000 years from now people will still visit the pyramids but the Sydney Opera House will be a forgotten heap of dust.

You are right of course Foxy.

What is it about us Ozzies, that we celebrate, & become famous for our greatest mistakes? Anzac, the opera house, & the Melbourne cup.

Dear Hassie,

That's because we've got a name for ourselves
of toughness, bravery, and above all endurance.
When decisions are made for us over which
we have no control -
We make the best of things - and simply get on
with it. It's our nature.

"What can a little chap do
For his country and you?
He can fight like a Knight
For the Truth and the Right
He can shun all that's mean
He can keep himself clean
His soul he can brace
Against everything base
He can look to the Light
He can fight the great fight
Though his years be but few
He can march in the queue
Of the Good and the Great
Who battled with fate
And won through -
That's what he can do."

John Oxenham ...

And that's worth celebrating!

This is a lovely article that lends itself to beautiful controversy.

First, I think the whole topic should be cast in the context of "Skyscraper economics". They were, after all, the world's first true skyscrapers and their construction was followed shortly after by the collapse of the Old Kingdom.

Second: The currently degraded condition of the pyramids is largely due to human activity and despite that they probably have the capacity to last at least ten times their present age. If they are so relatively young should we not then restore them to their full original glory

Finally, is the current push into space not the new pyramid building?

Egyptian Palaces:

see:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_palaces_in_Egypt