Egypt News :Egypt cuts highways across pyramids plateau, alarming conservationists.

MEMPHIS, Egypt (Reuters) – Egypt is building two highways across the pyramids plateau outside Cairo, reviving and expanding a project that was suspended in the 1990s after an international outcry.

The Great Pyramids, Egypt’s top tourist destination, are the sole survivor of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the plateau is a UNESCO world heritage site.

The highways are part of an infrastructure push spearheaded by Egypt’s powerful military and championed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is building a new capital city to ease the population pressure on Cairo, home to 20 million people.

The northern highway will cross the desert 2.5 km (1.6 miles) south of the Great Pyramids. The southern one will pass between the Step Pyramid of Saqqara – the oldest one – and the Dahshur area, home to the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid.

Each highway appears to be about eight lanes wide.

Critics say they could cause irrevocable damage to one of the world’s most important heritage sites. Authorities say they will be built with care and improve transport links, connecting new urban developments and bypassing central Cairo’s congestion.

“The roads are very, very important for development, for Egyptians, for inside Egypt,” said Mostafa al-Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. “Know that we take good care of our antiquities sites everywhere in Egypt.”

Some Egyptologists and conservationists say the highways will disrupt the integrity of the pyramids plateau, pave over unexplored archaeological sites, generate pollution that could corrode monuments, produce litter and expose closed areas packed with hidden archaeological treasures to looting.

Al-Waziri said existing roads were much closer to the pyramids and carried a lot of tourist buses. “That is why we are doing a lot of development,” he said, noting plans to use electric tourist buses within the plateau to avoid pollution.

MEMPHIS

The highways, which will dissect the plateau into three, will cross a section of ancient Memphis, one of the world’s biggest and most influential cities for almost 3,000 years.

“I was flabbergasted by what I saw,” said former senior UNESCO official Said Zulficar, who visited a portion of the southern highway two months ago. “All the work that I had done nearly 25 years ago is now being put into question.”

Zulficar led a successful campaign in the mid 1990s to suspend construction of the northern highway, a branch of Cairo’s first ringroad. UNESCO said it had requested detailed information on the new plan several times and asked to send a monitoring mission.

The state press centre referred a Reuters request for further comment on the plans to a communications advisor of the tourism and antiquities ministry, who could not be reached.

Construction began well over a year ago in desert areas largely out of public sight and became more visible around March, Egyptologists and Google Earth images indicate.

On a recent visit, Reuters journalists saw heavy machinery clearing fields and building bridges and junctions along both highways. Hundreds of uprooted date palms lay in piles.

The southern highway is a part of Cairo’s second ringroad that will connect the western satellite city of Sixth of October to the new capital city east of Cairo via 16 km of desert on the pyramids plateau, farmland and a corner of Memphis.

In 2014, the World Bank estimated congestion in the greater Cairo area cut about 3.6 percentage points off Egypt’s output.

“The road cuts through archaeologically unexplored cemeteries of the little-known 13th Dynasty, in walking distance of the pyramids of Pepi II and Khendjer and the Mastabat el-Fara’un”, said an Egyptologist who knows the area.

The person was among six Egyptologists Reuters spoke to. Most of them declined to be named for fear of losing clearance to handle antiquities.

One said caches of statues and blocks with hieroglyphs had been unearthed since highway construction began; the antiquities authority said on its Facebook page these had been discovered on nearby private property.

Memphis, said to have been founded in about 3,000 B.C. when Egypt was united into a single country, was eclipsed but not abandoned when Alexander the Great moved the capital to Alexandria in 331 B.C.

It extended more than 6 square kilometres, the Nile valley’s largest ancient settlement site.

The new road comes close to the ancient city’s commercial districts, its harbour walls and the former site of an ancient Nilometer, used to measure the height of the annual flood, said David Jeffreys, a British Egyptologist who has been working on Memphis for the Egypt Exploration Society since 1981.

It also endangers a Roman wall that once bordered the Nile that Jeffreys said few people were aware of.

“Memphis has long been neglected, even by Egyptologists, as it is a complicated site to excavate,” another Egyptologist said. “But it is enormously rich, bursting with temples, archives, administrative buildings and industrial areas.”

Source: egyptindependent

Egypt News : Egypt cuts highways across pyramids plateau, alarming conservationists.

Egypt is building two highways across the pyramids plateau outside Cairo, reviving and expanding a project that was suspended in the 1990s after an international outcry.

The Great Pyramids, Egypt’s top tourist destination, are the sole survivor of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the plateau is a UNESCO world heritage site.

The highways are part of an infrastructure push spearheaded by Egypt’s powerful military and championed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is building a new capital city to ease the population pressure on Cairo, home to 20 million people.

The northern highway will cross the desert 2.5 km (1.6 miles) south of the Great Pyramids. The southern one will pass between the Step Pyramid of Saqqara – the oldest one – and the Dahshur area, home to the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid.

Each highway appears to be about eight lanes wide.

Critics say they could cause irrevocable damage to one of the world’s most important heritage sites. Authorities say they will be built with care and improve transport links, connecting new urban developments and bypassing central Cairo’s congestion.

“The roads are very, very important for development, for Egyptians, for inside Egypt,” said Mostafa al-Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. “Know that we take good care of our antiquities sites everywhere in Egypt.”

Some Egyptologists and conservationists say the highways will disrupt the integrity of the pyramids plateau, pave over unexplored archaeological sites, generate pollution that could corrode monuments, produce litter and expose closed areas packed with hidden archaeological treasures to looting.

Al-Waziri said existing roads were much closer to the pyramids and carried a lot of tourist buses. “That is why we are doing a lot of development,” he said, noting plans to use electric tourist buses within the plateau to avoid pollution.

Source: middle east monitor

New Discovery, Saqqara "5": Egypt announced the discovery of 13 completely sealed coffins dating back more than 2,500 years.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced Sept. 7 the discovery of 13 completely sealed coffins dating back more than 2,500 years in a deep burial shaft in the ancient Saqqara region of the Giza governorate, south of Cairo.

According to Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled al-Anani, the burial shaft is about 11 meters (36 feet) deep. The shaft contained wooden coffins with paint still intact and stacked on top of each other. Anani posted video footage from the archaeological discovery site on his Instagram account, with a caption that read, “An indescribable feeling when you witness a new archeological discovery. Stay tuned for the announcement of a new discovery in Saqqara. Thank you to my colleagues in the ministry.”

According to the ministry's statement published on its Facebook page, a preliminary study showed that the coffins are completely sealed and have not been opened since they were buried. It is likely that more coffins will be discovered in the niches near the shaft, it added. One of these niches was opened and wooden coffins and archaeological pieces were also found.

Al-Monitor spoke to Mostafa Waziry, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities who is currently leading the Egyptian archaeological mission in Saqqara. He said, “Saqqara is a promising region. It is one of the most important archaeological regions that still has unrevealed secrets. More work and more archaeological excavations are required to uncover more of its secrets and treasures. Work is underway to define the identity and titles of the occupiers of these 13 coffins, which were found after 2,500 years.”

He explained that a team of Egyptian restoration workers began restoring the 13 archaeological coffins, adding that archaeological excavations are continuing in the region, and that indications are promising and usher in more new discoveries.

Waziri noted that this new discovery is not the first in the archaeological region of ​​Saqqara, as archaeological discoveries have remarkably increased during the past years. “This has resulted in many international archaeological missions working in this region to race against time trying to explore hidden treasures,” he added.

He said the increase in the number of archaeological discoveries recently is due to the resumption of foreign archaeological missions after a hiatus of a number of years. “There are currently 300 archaeological missions from 25 countries, including some that are operating for the first time in Egypt such as the joint Egyptian-Chinese archaeological mission. Add to this the increase in the number of Egyptian archaeological missions, which for the first time in the history of Egypt reached about 50 missions working in various archaeological sites across the country.”

Waziri praised these Egyptian missions made up of prominent workers, technicians and archaeologists, and hailed their work to reveal the ancient Egyptian civilization to the world.

The Egyptian antiquities missions resumed excavation works in August, after they were suspended in April due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While taking into account preventive measures, the missions are now operating in four regions, namely Tuna El-Gabal in Minya, the Saqqara antiquities region, the Pyramids in Giza and al-Asasif region, west of Luxor, according to Waziri.

In September 2019, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities had announced its approval of the work of about 240 foreign archaeological missions, including one Spanish and one American mission, in addition to 40 Egyptian archaeological missions, at various sites during the new archaeological season.

The 2019 announcement came at the launch of the winter excavation season. Although expectations were high that the archaeological season would be exceptional, the coronavirus outbreak ended the work of all foreign missions.

In recent years, the Saqqara region has witnessed several important archaeological discoveries. The ministry announced in December 2018 the discovery of a tomb that belongs to Wahtye, a high priest who served during the reign of King Neferirkare in the Old Kingdom’s Fifth Dynasty. The 4,400-year-old tomb was intact and well preserved with distinguished colors. It measures roughly 10 meters (33 feet) in length and three meters (10 feet) in height. The tombs’s walls are decorated with colorful scenes showing the royal priest alongside his mother, wife and other members of his family. It contains large colored statues of Wahtye carved in rock.

In July 2018, excavation works in Saqqara carried out by the Egyptian-German mission of the University of Tubingen uncovered a mummification workshop with connected burial chambers dating back to the 26th and 27th dynasties (664-404 B.C.). The announcement was made during the archaeological survey works in the Cemeteries of the Sawy Age, located south of the Pyramid of Unas in Saqqara. The mission also found a gilded mummy mask inlaid with semiprecious stones that covered the face of one of the mummies in one of the attached burial chambers. 

The Egyptian archaeological mission also found in April 2019 a tomb in Saqqara for a person named Khuwy who was one of the nobles living in the era of the Fifth Dynasty in the Old Kingdom. The mission uncovered this tomb while documenting the collection of pyramids that belong to King Djedkare Isesi, a ruler of the Fifth Dynasty.

At the end of last year, the ministry unveiled a huge cache of ancient artifacts and mummified animals in Saqqara. The discovery consisted of a tomb with a number of mummified cats and a statute of a big cat. Crocodiles, cobras and scarab beetles are among the other mummified creatures found at the site, along with statues of other animals and birds. The discovery of the cache, which dates back to the seventh century B.C., includes wooden boxes decorated with hieroglyphics.

                        

Source: al-monitor

1st group of French tourists after resumption of cultural tourism in Egypt enjoys Egyptian Museum.

CAIRO – 15 September 2020: The first tourist group from France visited the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, after they visited the Saqqara and Dahshour antiquities areas. That came about 14 days after the resumption of the cultural tourism movement in Egypt. 

The tourists enjoyed a tour at the archaeological area, and expressed their happiness to visit Egypt to get acquainted with its grandiose ancient civilization.
The French group wished that the details of the archaeological discovery and closed coffins that have been recently found in the Saqqara area would be announced while they are in Egypt, as the promotional clips that were published about the discovery dazzled them.

Egypt’s Minister of Tourism & Antiquities Khaled el-Anani held a meeting last week with several investors, representatives of cultural tourism and hotel managers in Luxor, to discuss the conditions of the tourism sector in the governorate and listen to their requests and proposals to stimulate and revitalize the cultural tourism movement after its resumption in early September.

Source:egypt today

Egypt’s Saqqara receives first tourist group from France .

The Saqqara Antiquities Region, most famous for tal tourism in Egypt. he Step Pyramid, received its first tourist group on Monday, about 14 days after the resumption of cultur

Egypt suspended international flights at all its airports on 19 March, in efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus, with flights only resuming again on 1 July. Egypt resumed inbound tourism, starting on 1 July, to three governorates as a first stage, namely the Red Sea, South Sinai, and Matrouh. Then it resumed tourism activities in Luxor and Aswan in early September.

The tourist group, which travelled to Egypt from France, enjoyed a tour of the archaeological site. They expressed their happiness at being able to visit Egypt and its various sites of ancient civilisation. The group also highlighted their desire to know further details on the recent archaeological discoveries in the area, which included the discovery of a cache of still closed coffins.

Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities recently published promotional films on the archaeological discovery found at Saqqara, although the full details have yet to be announced.

The tourists said that the promotional videos were effective at drawing their attention to the discovery, and have whetted their appetite to know more, particularly regarding the contents of the coffins.

Source:daily news egypt

Luxor and Aswan floating hotels to reopen in October.

The floating hotels have begun executing the protocol and policy changes that will allow them to obtain certification to reopen at the beginning of next month, as confirmed by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Upon certification, the hotels will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity. 

Luxor and Aswan have 130 floating hotels, he said, 30 to 50 of which are expected to resume business initially, given that the return of tourism is anticipated to be gradual. 

Following the announcement, Egypt’s numerous tour agencies began coordinating trips, Agamy said, pointing out high demand from many countries, including Japan and Spain.

Tourism investors have offered the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Khaled al-Anani, a number of ideas to revitalize the industry after operations resumed in early September, Agamy mentioned.

Some of the proposals included administering a PCR analysis for tourists upon arrival at Luxor and Aswan airports.

The test is currently available for those flying into Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada airports, and its availability is expected to contribute to an increase in tourism within the two governorates, he added.

The Luxor and Aswan governorates petitioned for an extension to the “Spend Summer in Upper Egypt” initiative, which was launched by the ministry to encourage tourism in Upper Egypt by offering 50 a percent discount on full ticket prices for foreign visitors at museums and archaeological sites.

They have requested extending the initiative to December.

The governorates also called for a reduction in domestic airfare to Luxor and Aswan, another measure they believe will help stimulate tourism in the region.

Anani promised to consider all requests and proposals, stressing that the state will spare no effort to promote the tourism sector.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities confirmed an increase in the coming months of inspection campaigns on hotels and archaeological sites, in order to ensure that places are adhering to the government’s precautionary measures and safety controls.

Source:Egypt independent

 

Return of Russian flights will work in Egypt’s favour: EJB

The return of Russian flights to Egypt is a very positive decision in favour of the country’s tourism and its sustainability, according to Mohamed Kaoud, head of the Tourism and Aviation Committee at the Egyptian Junior Business Association(EJB).

“The efforts made through the state, ministries and sovereign bodies reflect the ability of Egyptian negotiators to achieve gains on the negotiating table after the unfortunate plane crash in 2015,” Kaoud, who is also CEO of Egyliere Travel, said.

He indicated that Russian tourism is a main pillar in Egypt’s tourism in Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada, and called for a reconsideration of the return of charter and regular flights between Egypt and Russia.

Kaoud also noted that there is a need to study the reactivation of regular flights between Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada airports, and St Petersburg and Moscow airports, particularly targeting large group tourism and luxury travel.

Russia and China account for the largest percentage of luxury tourism worldwide, and regular aviation deals with a different type of flying experience between Egypt and Russia is essential to cater for this segment.

Kaoud stressed the need to strengthen Egyptian-Russian relations through direct investments, whether through partnerships, or attracting Russian investors in the hospitality sector.

This could take place through hospitality project partnerships in the form of hotels, restaurants, yachts, and beaches. It would occur in much the same manner as those partnerships Russian investors have set up in Monaco, France, Turkey, Greece and the UK.

Kaoud added that the development of appropriate plans during the next period will work to increase the number of Russian tourists.

“Developing real plans that are applied on the ground will increase Egypt’s reserves of US dollars coming from Russian tourism, which would reach to the billions,” he said. “This indicates that there should be a focus on the quality of services and security for the Russian market, and other markets, because any mistake as Russian tourism returns will create a crisis that may complicate the future relationship.”

Kaoud noted that hospitality stakeholders in Egypt must visit decision-makers in Russia and open further cooperation channels with Russian companies to attract tourism again. Egyptian businessmen should also consider joint ventures in a consortium that acquire shares in major tour operators and tourism companies that influence the destination flourishing.

He also emphasised the need to support and strengthen bilateral international relations between the two countries in accordance with health and safety standards. This would ensure that tourists returning home to Russia can undertake PCR analysis on demand once they return home, and do not suffer any side-effects from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Russian market holds great potential in terms of ensuring the Red Sea area’s tourism sector flourishes again, alongside other industries directly and indirectly related to the tourism and hospitality sectors. Once the flow of tourism from the country restarts, it will also provide a significant amount of foreign currency and foreign direct investment (FDI) to Egypt’s Economy.

Source:daily news Egypt