In 100 years` time, our monuments will collapse, not because of an earthquake but because of tourism…
In 100 years` time, our monuments will collapse, not because of an earthquake but because of tourism. Such was the recent warning from Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Antiquities (SCA) Dr. Zahi Hawas.
Assume that 500 tourists visit the tomb of Tut Ankh Amoun tomb every day, and that every visitor leaves 20 grammes of water vapour. Within 20 years, the daily total 10,000 grammes of vapour will have combined with elements in the stone and slowly destroy the tomb, Dr Hawas said.
Based on this assumption, the Great Pyramid or Cheops will last only another 100 years and the Sphinx 200 years. Thus tourism is destroying our treasures, Dr Hawas said in an interview with the weekly magazine al- Musawwar.
But tourism is the biggest earner of foreign currency, $ 4 billion a year, tours of ancient sites are part of the promotion package.
Can we contemplate the future of tourism without the attractions? UNESCO has issued an international alert, saying that ancient treasures are in danger, Dr Hawas said.
Our antiquities are unique as they were once invulnerable to outside effects. However, those working in tourism do not appreciate the danger and tour operators are more concerned with financial gain than environmental issues regarding ancient sites, Dr Hawas told the magazine.
Even increasing the prices of entry tickets will do no good, because the tour companies will complain that the tourists will not come if they are forced to pay more to see the sights.
But we have to put up admission charges by 1 November in order to raise funds to preserve our antiquities. Thus it was decided to close the Sakkara site, where the exquisite wall carvings are at great risk.
I also had to limit the number of visitors to the Great Pyramid of Cheops to 300 a day because it is full of crack and restoration work is in progress. The tomb of Nefertari has been closed for the same reasons, Dr Hawas said.
We will also close sites of other antiquities if we think it could be in danger of speed destruction, Hawas said in a decisive tone.
The SCA chief also called for dialogue between the tourist industry and managers of ancient sites on this important issue, which is becoming a world- wide phenomenon.
Both sides should meet to plan and draw up strategies to protect our heritage, he said.
Egypt can barely cope with 5,000 tourists all year round, any more than that would spell disaster for our antiquities in less than 50 years, not only 100 years` time, which in my opinion is very optimistic, Dr Hawas said.
For this reason, I feel that those in charge of tourism should look for tourists who would prove beneficial to the economy.
An international conference should be called for to bring together ministries and agencies -local administration, tourism, antiquities, culture, and environment -to devise a strategy to protect our monuments, he said. As for the tombs in the Valley of Kings, tests and experiments are being conducted to find ways to reduce humidity inside the tombs by using.
Tour guides are being instructed to explain their contents, in order to decrease the time of visit inside the tomb for the sake of conservation, Dr Hawas said.
Many of the temples in Karnak and Luxor are in danger of damage from underground water.
The presence of the underground is due to the lack of proper sewage disposal.
These temples are situated on high plateaus so that excess water accumulates in trenches below, from where the water works its way to the foundations of the monuments.
Antiquities officials previously warned of the threat of seepage by underground water, but little or no action had been taken to solve the problem.
The Ministry of Agriculture came under criticism recently for not taking into consideration the fact that the underground water problem might be catastrophic to ancient temples.
Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni said that Luxor is one of the treasures of Egypt and rich in the antiquities telling the story of one of the oldest civilizations on earth.
True, these monuments are in danger from rising underground water levels, and this problem has reached serious proportions. Even so, restoration work has already started in the temples area, Hosni said.
The problem is not only the concern of the Ministry of Culture but also the Ministry of Agriculture is involved.
We are all working hand-in-hand to solve the problem that might cause a disaster to the area, he said, calling on all ministries involved to team up because this project is costly and will prove a financial burden for the Ministry of Culture if it takes it on alone.
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