The Sphinx - dammed but not drowning
Following three months of comprehensive ecological and geophysical studies carried out by experts of the Archaeological Engineering Centre of Cairo and Ain Shams universities, the Sphinx and its bedrock have been pronounced safe, reports Nevine El-Aref. However, the poor drainage system in the suburb of Nazlet Al-Semman and the area surrounding it is the main cause of the rising water table and the accumulation of salt on the surface of the ground facing the Sphinx's Valley Temple. The area known as Abu Al-Holl Club, located outside the archaeological site, is also affected.
Culture Minister Farouk Hosni told a press conference held this week at the Ministry of Culture premises in Zamalek that the scientific team had found that filling up a section of the Al-Mansouriya canal was another cause of the raised water level. "The irrigation technique used in cultivating neighbouring areas, such as the public gardens and greeneries in the Hadaaq Al-Ahram residential area and the golf courses of the Mena House Hotel has led to the leakage of water into the Giza Plateau, especially the Valley Temple as it is located on a lower level," Hosni said.
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