Work suspended at excavation of Sphinx avenue in Luxor

Egyptian Gazette

It is no secret that the archeological sector has been one of the major sectors adversely affected by repercussions of the January revolution. While some archeological sites have been plundered, because of the low security profile security and the general state of chaos prevailing for several months, work has been suspended on other sites for financial reasons.

Excavations on the Avenue of Sphinxes, a key element of the large project to convert Luxor into an open museum, intended to unearth the route that linked the Luxor and Karnak Temple in Pharaonic times, have come to a halt.

While visiting the town in May to give impetus to the project, incumbent Prime Minister Essam Sharaf promised that the excavations would be resumed, so that the reclaimed Avenue of the Sphinxes would be inaugurated in October at the start of tourism’s high season. Despite his promise, the situation is at a standstill.