Egypt
jacksonville.com (Brian Norman)
See the above for more.
- Cairo's Other Pyramids Emerge
The National (Rebecca Bundhun) If you follow the Nile south of the smog of Cairo, and drive on for about 40km past the occasional donkey and herd of goats before heading west out into the desert, two large pyramids eventually come into view. These are...
- Travel: A Hiking Tour Of Egyptian Sites
Los Angeles Times (Kathryn Wilkens) Most time-strapped visitors take a bus to the pyramids, but we were on a walking tour. Our group of 14, along with our guide, Egyptologist Inas Hassan, set out from the hotel, continuing uphill past the Great Pyramid...
- Travel: Observing The Pilgrims
Living in Egypt blog (Maryanne Stroud Gabbani) I look at Maryanne Stroud Gabbani's blogs most days because they offer a great insight into her life in the rural outskirts of Cairo and Giza. Today she describes taking some visitors to the Giza plateau...
- Pyramids Of Giza In Peril
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/208677An eye-opening look at some of the problems facing conservation of the Giza pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, highlighting the problems caused by camel touts, but also raising everything from accidental...
- World Heritage Sites: Threat Or Promise?
http://tinyurl.com/yxnyep (arabnews.com) An article about the pros and cons of establishing a site as a World Heritage Site. It is specific to three sites recently nominated in Saudi Arabia, but puts them into the context of more general issues: "Automobile...
Egypt
Urbanization threatens Pyramids
jacksonville.com (Brian Norman)
There have been several features about this subject over the years, but it never hurts to be reminded.
The Pyramids and the Sphinx of Giza are the most recognized objects in Egypt and attract millions of tourists each year. Over the years, they weathered erosion, challenged the winds of the desert, stood proud while humans plundered their exteriors, and more recently dealt with the effects of pollution. They now face a new man-made threat to their existence—urban development.
Cairo is an expanding city and inches its way closer to the Sphinx and Pyramids annually. The urban expansion toward Giza started in the late 1800s when the ruler of Egypt, Isma'il Pasha, built a road to the Pyramids from Cairo, to ease the trip of visitors from Europe and the rest of the world. The officials visiting Egypt for the opening of the Suez Canal had an easy route to visit Giza. The road remains in usage today as a four-lane highway littered with buses and taxis taking tourists back and forth.
Since the road’s construction, neighborhoods have developed to what is now the edge of the Giza plateau. What was an out-of-the-way drive from Cairo is now a mere 30 minutes. Even more, you can now stay at hotels walking distance from the Pyramids. The Giza Hilton offers a “Pyramid view” golf course.
Most disturbing of all, there is a plaza walking distance away from the Sphinx that has, among others, a KFC, Pizza Hut and Hard Rock Café.
The urban expansion toward Giza has different negative effects on the historic landmarks.
See the above for more.
There's a particularly good video report and article about an unofficial highway (an abandoned ringroad development) that offers a real threat to the pyramids, on the BBC News site (the video starts immediately).
- Cairo's Other Pyramids Emerge
The National (Rebecca Bundhun) If you follow the Nile south of the smog of Cairo, and drive on for about 40km past the occasional donkey and herd of goats before heading west out into the desert, two large pyramids eventually come into view. These are...
- Travel: A Hiking Tour Of Egyptian Sites
Los Angeles Times (Kathryn Wilkens) Most time-strapped visitors take a bus to the pyramids, but we were on a walking tour. Our group of 14, along with our guide, Egyptologist Inas Hassan, set out from the hotel, continuing uphill past the Great Pyramid...
- Travel: Observing The Pilgrims
Living in Egypt blog (Maryanne Stroud Gabbani) I look at Maryanne Stroud Gabbani's blogs most days because they offer a great insight into her life in the rural outskirts of Cairo and Giza. Today she describes taking some visitors to the Giza plateau...
- Pyramids Of Giza In Peril
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/208677An eye-opening look at some of the problems facing conservation of the Giza pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, highlighting the problems caused by camel touts, but also raising everything from accidental...
- World Heritage Sites: Threat Or Promise?
http://tinyurl.com/yxnyep (arabnews.com) An article about the pros and cons of establishing a site as a World Heritage Site. It is specific to three sites recently nominated in Saudi Arabia, but puts them into the context of more general issues: "Automobile...