At a seminar organized by the Engineers Syndicate, Abdel Halim Nour Eddin, an expert in archaeology, said 96 percent of Egypt's ancient monuments are neglected and can be easily stolen or vandalized.
He added that the buildings in the Pyramids Plateau and the area from Al-Remaya Square until the Fayoum Road are encroachments on archaeological sites.
“Antiquities are not a priority for decision-makers in Egypt,” he said, noting that the scientific advisors have notd include archaeologists. “And all that people are interested in is whether it was the Jews who built the pyramids.”
“Sixty artifacts were stolen from the Egyptian Museum, in addition to many other pieces from the museums of Kantara. Mit Rahina and Malawi,” he said. “And there are 300 acres of the archaeological area in Abu Sir from which artifacts were stolen.”
He said Israel stole 45,000 artifacts from Sinai during the occupation, of which 38,000 were repatriated in the 1990s. “They wanted to keep four particular pieces, but I refused and told them only the Egyptian people have the right to dispose of them,” he said.
“There are neglected archaeological sites in Maadi, Helwan, Imbaba, Giza, Memphis and Old Cairo,” he said.
For his part, Syndicate Chairman Tarek al-Nabarawy said he cannot understand why the historical house of President Nasser has also been neglected, despite its great political and historical value.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
