Published 12:25 IST, July 21st 2020
Egyptian govt denies destroying historical cemeteries for construction of bridge
Egyptian government on July 20 denied destroying ancient monuments in order to make way for building a bridge in Cairo’s City of the Dead, according to reports.
The Egyptian government on July 20 denied destroying ancient monuments in order to make way for building a bridge in Cairo’s City of the Dead, according to reports. The clarification came after an online campaign erupted across social media platforms demanding the government to drop the project and save the historic Mamluk Desert Cemetery, which is home to the body remains of many of its historical rulers and elites, including pashas, Egyptian intelligentsia and former Prime Ministers.
Osama Talaat, the head of Islamic, Coptic, and Judaic Antiquities, a department affiliated to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, in a statement said that termed the poster circulating online as rumour and has said that the pictures that have appeared on social media are not of registered historical monuments. Osama further added that even though the pictured cemeteries are of recent times the secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities had still ordered an inquiry into the matter and has asked the committee to display some of the tombstones in a museum.
'Tampering with history'
However, Hisham Auf, an archaeologist has reportedly contradicted Osama's claim and has said that the cemetery that is being destroyed to make way for the bridge is registered by the Archaeological Department since 2009. Hisham said that the area is part of Egypt's modern and ancient history and thus changing it would mean tampering with parts of the country's history. He further added that it would also mean going against the pledge made to UNESCO as they are included in the world heritage site of 'Historic Cairo'. According to reports, the cemetery has seen many changes in the past as well, most recently during the reign of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, when parts of graves were removed for building a road.
Updated 12:25 IST, July 21st 2020