Sunday, February 18, 2007

The SCA's current plans

The first part of the article deals with some of the work being carried out in Egypt at present, and how the SCA (AKA Zahi Hawass) are contributing. The discoveries described (very briefly) include the re-discovery of the mummy of Hatshepsut, the excavation of KV63, the future plans to look at the Great Pyramid, and the opening of over 10 new museums (one of which may be underwater). The article then goes on to describe an interview with Hawass, discussing various subjects including new policies for Egyptian heritage:
"Hawass has already limited access to some of the most imperilled sites, such as the three biggest pyramids at Giza, one of which is always closed for restoration and removal of the salt buildup caused by all the heat and sweat from tourists. He's limited the number of visitors to King Tut's tomb to 1,000 a day. It used to get 6,000. An informative new visitor centre at the Valley of the Kings is just one example of the way of the future, and features a massive, plastic form of the valley, with each of its 63 tombs hanging from below.
The most popular tombs open to the public are under tight guard and tourists can have their cameras seized temporarily if found snapping photos of the colourful hieroglyphics.
Soon, Hawass will announce that visits to the Valley of the Kings will be restricted to three times a day – now there's an early morning rush in hopes of escaping the sweltering afternoon heat – and tourists will be issued colour-coded tickets for specific times."
See the above page for the full story.

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