An Egyptian ministerial delegation headed to Greece on Tuesday morning to discuss the management of several historic properties in Greece that belong to the Egyptian state.
According to an Endowments Ministry press statement issued on Tuesday, the delegation plans to meet with Greek officials to discuss properties belonging to the Endowments Ministry in the city of Kavala and on the island of Thassos.
The press release, which was issued during a conference for the Egypt-Greece Business Council, said that the delegation had met with the Egyptian Cabinet prior to departure to determine their objectives and develop a clear action plan.
The delegation includes representatives from the Endowments Ministry, the Tourism Development Authority, the National Security Agency and the Administrative Control Authority.
The visit aims to take action on the restoration of several historic buildings and works of art belonging to Egypt and currently under the supervision of the Egyptian Embassy in Athens, said Hany Berzy, head of the Egyptian group at the Egypt-Greece Business Council during the conference.
"We want to invest in the Egyptian properties in Greece… and we call on members of the council to discuss the suggestions seriously," Berzy added.
In addition to discussing the condition of the properties, the Egyptian delegation will be looking into their current usage. The Endowments Ministry rents the properties for various uses, including tourism, claiming that rental prices are very reasonable.
However, sources at the ministry say there has been an increase in property violations recently, including encroachment on its land. The delegation will be speaking with Greek officials and tenants with a view to resolving the issues.
A building in Greece that was once owned by Muhamed Ali Pasha is now a hotel named Imaret
Gamal Nour, undersecretary at the Endowments Ministry, said that Egypt conducted negotiations with Greece between 1960 and 1984 over several properties on the island of Thassos that belonged to the family of Mohamad Ali Pasha.
In a statement to Youm7 Nour said that a Greek woman named Anna Mesrian is currently leasing Mohamed Ali's property on the island and has transformed it into a museum. Several years ago, the Greek woman restored the buildings at a cost of 1 million euros, he said.
There is also a statue of Mohamed Ali in a public square in Greece that cannot be moved or leased, being a tourist attraction, said Nour.
Other properties previously belonging to Mohamed Ali include the Naval School, which overlooks the Aegean Sea, and a palace on the island of Thassos, on an area of 11 thousand square meters.
There is also an immense building known as Imaret, covering an area of about 4,160 square meters, that was used for providing food to the poor until 1923. The Imaret, which is located not far from Ali's house, was eventually transformed into a luxurious boutique hotel of the same name.
