Last Friday, Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry began moving four of the sphinxes in Luxor’s Karnak Temple to relocate them to Tahrir Square, as part of a major plan to renovate the square. The decision was met with controversy, as archaeologists feared that the traffic and pollution of Cairo will damage the four ram-headed sphinxes and the obelisk. “The sphinxes are made of sandstone, they are part of the dry environment in Luxor, when they would be moved to Tahrir Square with all the pollution, they will deteriorate as a result of the reactions with the carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the air,” Dr. Monica Hanna, a heritage expert, told The Associated Press. In response, Egypt’s Antiquities and Tourism Minister Khaled El-Enany defended the decision, noting that the four ram-headed sphinxes are not part of the landmark ones placed at the front of the temple, and adding that, “When we go to European capitals like Rome or Paris or London, we see that they use Egyptian obelisks in decorating their major tourist squares, so why do we not do the same?” However, the discussion of renovating Tahrir Square should also…
Do We Really Need Pharaonic Antiquities to Renovate Egypt’s Tahrir Square?
January 1, 2020
