The Antiquities Ministry is making improvements to tourist facilities at the Giza pyramids site, aiming to have preparations complete by the end of September. Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anany said the developments began in 2009 and cost LE350 million, of which LE51 million has been supplied by the Tourism Ministry. The push to complete the project comes as Egypt redoubles its efforts to turn the tide on an ebbing post-revolution tourism industry.
The project includes installing high-tech security gates at the entrance, control rooms, an information centre, an administrative building and parking facilities. In addition, rubbish bins have been installed around the site, along with signs in both English and Arabic forbidding people from climbing on the ancient structures and ruins, which have been cleaned and dusted. Souvenir vendors have been designated areas in which they are allowed to sell their wares — outside the entrance to the site. Al-Anany said the ministry is currently involved in works on a new entrance to Giza’s famous Mena House Hotel on the Cairo-Fayoum desert road.Ashraf Mohie Eddin, archaeological director at the Giza pyramids site, reported that all employees are working hard ahead of the September opening.
“We are determined to make big improvements. There are monuments that need to be restored from scratch, and others that need work because they were restored incorrectly before the law on protecting antiquities came into effect. We’ve hit some obstacles in the form of a shortage of funds, but are using all our resources to overcome this”.
