For thousands of years, Ancient Egyptian monuments garnered the respect of millions. From Alexander the Great who portrayed himself as a Pharaoh, to the simple civilian in ancient Egypt, temples and monuments were respected. In ancient Egyptian history, one of the first questions that would be asked during judgement day is “Did you harm or destroy any temples?” Yet, today, such questions are forgotten. The respect of local and foreign leaders has all but disappeared from the minds of many visitors in Luxor. Monuments and temples are subjected to damage on a daily basis. Beyond the beautiful art and structures, the first thing most will notice while visiting the Karnak Temples is the disgraceful graffiti – many of it recent. “Memo loves Sara,” “Mamdouh 2013” “January 25 2011,” and other pathetic images plague the columns of the temple. While many of it rarely defaces any of the pre-existing drawings on the columns, they do come close to it. According to local tour guides, the surge in graffiti came as security disappeared following the January 2011 revolution. While the conditions are today considerably stricter than in 2011, the lack of any guards…
