In late 2016, Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities and Ministry of Tourism announced that they had spent a collective $US 40 million to renovate the Great Pyramids of Giza Complex in an attempt to make the area more accessible and enjoyable for visitors. Almost 16 months later, visitors and locals are asking: where did the money all go? In the 2016 statement, the Minister of Antiquities Khaled Al-Anany said that the $US 40 million would be spent on constructing an information centre, administrative building, and toilet facilities; installing ‘high-tech’ security gates at the entrance; installing rubish bins throughout the Complex; and moving vendors to a designated area. Yet, in two separate visits to the Pyramids in January of this year, Egyptian Streets has found that the Pyramids Complex remains unsafe, unclean, and confusing. No Information Centre No information centre currently exists to provide visitors with any information or guidance, despite the Minister of Antiquities stating that such centre would be constructed by the end of 2016. Tourists continue to be left without much guidance, forced to either rely on pre-planned tours or risk being scammed by locals. Even worse, if tourists arrive…
Giza Pyramids: Egyptian Heritage Turns Into National Embarrassment
January 14, 2018
