Making Luxor into a living museum

http://www.egypttoday.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=6683

Dr. Samir Farag, president of the Supreme Council of Luxor, has big plans for his city and the wealth of antiquities there. One plan is to restore the road connecting Luxor and Karnak. Stretching over three kilometers, the planned road would cut a 60- to 70-meter-wide swath right through a largely residential area of modern Luxor. Luxor Temple is believed to be the oldest functioning house of worship in the world. Archaeologists estimate that people have been worshipping at the temple for more than 4,000 years. An early Christian church replaced the gods of the Pharaohs and the Romans. Later, when the local community converted to Islam, the church was bricked up and a mosque, which continues to function today, was built on top of it.
In ancient times, a road linked the Luxor temple with Karnak, the two holiest sites in the Pharaonic religion. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the sun god Ra was born in Luxor, but lived in Karnak. Once a year, Ra needed to travel back to the place of his birth to rejuvenate himself. A ceremonial procession, including the pharaoh, followed the sphinx-lined road to accompany Ra. When the old religion was superseded by the new, the significance of the road was lost to the inhabitants of Luxor. Like many of the ancient monuments, the road was torn up for building materials. A number of more modern structures were built directly on top of the road."

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