News from Egypt and the South Sinai Region: Antiquities, Aviation, Cruises Etc.

I. National News:
Five new tourist projects in Hurghada, Safaga opened
Five tourist projects were launched in the Red sea governorate at an estimated cost of L.E 1.3 billion.
The news was announced by Minister of Tourism Ahmed El-Maghrabi, who stressed that increasing the number of hotels will boost local tourism.
“We have inaugurated the largest health club in the Middle East, which offers new attractions like hydrotherapy for tourists” El-Maghrabi added.

7.5 million tourists visited Egypt from January to November
Chairman of the Egyptian Tourist Authority Ahmed Al Khadem announced that about 7.5 million tourists visited Egypt from January to November 2004 and figures showed that the number is expected to hit 8 million by late December.
He added that Italian tourists lead the list with 967000 until late November and Germans rank second with 927000.
“Other markets made a leap such as Russia with 635000, France with 429000 and the United Kingdom with 494000,” he said.

Egyptian tourism sector highly competitive
Minister of Tourism Ahmed El-Maghrabi said the Egyptian tourism sector is more competitive than that in any neighboring country.
In statements, Maghrabi said Egypt welcomes any joint tourist programs in cooperation with any country as long as such programs would up tourist inflow into Egypt and support the government’s economic development efforts.

“This at the end would serve the government’s primary goal which is to improve living standards and cut the rate of unemployment,” the Minister added.

II. Antiquity News:

SCA launches operation to rescue sun boats
The supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) will embark on carrying out an emergency project to rescue the ancient sun boats in the Giza pyramids area.
The boats have been badly affected by strong sun, especially by the ultra-violet rays which damage the organic components of the wooden hulls.
SCA chairman Zahi Hawas said the sun boats Museum displays, among others, a boat which is the only one of its kind in the world.
The museum’s glassy windows allow the sun to penetrate directly into the body of the boat, a matter that exposes the ship to damage.
The SCA has conducted a scientific study proposing a set of measures to preserve the boats. One of these measures is to cover the large windows with a treated plastic material that mitigates the impact of the sun rays and allows slight lighting inside the museum.
The rectangular boat pits found on the south side of the great pyramid were discovered in 1954, covered by huge limestone slabs, containing the dismantled remains of two Royal Boats.
It is thought that these boats transported cheops (Khufu)’s body to his (Greater) pyramid, since it was a common practice to bury all items connected with the Royal Funeral, close to the final resting-place of the King.

One of the boats made up of 1,224 separate parts was reconstructed by being stitched together using ropes made of vegetable fibers. After its reassembly, the boat measuring 43.3 (142ft) long is now housed in the solar boat Museum next to the pyramid.

Renovated monuments in old Cairo
Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif opened five archaeological projects that have been renovated in El-Muez street in ancient Cairo. The projects include Mosque, Fountain and Kuttab (lowest elementary school in the past) of Suliman Agha El-Slehdar, Sultan Barquq School, El-Nasser Mohamed Bin Qalawoon, Mosque, Fountain Ankuteb of Ali El-Metllahr and Mosque and school of Al-Ashraf Bersai.
The projects that have been completely restored are part of the national project for turning the whole area to a largest open museum for the archaeological sites in the world.

Zahi Hawas: Silos dating back to Pharaonic era unearthed in Fayoum
California University and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) joint expedition announced that eight silos dating back to the pre-dynasty era have been unearthed in northern Fayum.
SCA Chairman, Zahi Hawas said the find is one of the most interesting discoveries as “it enriches our knowledge of the agricultural methods and techniques adopted by the Ancient Egyptians in the pre-history era”.
“It helps us understand the development of a hunting-based community into agricultural one”. He added.
Head of California university expedition said during the archaeological survey and excavations in northern fayum, some 67 cereal stores dating back to pre-dynasty epoch were found.
They contained samples of dried cereals, fruits and flax, she added.

New discoveries put Suez on the Egyptian touristic map
Minister of Culture, Farouk Hossni, decided to form a panel of Egyptian archeologists to examine new 22 archeological sites, recently discovered in the Suez governorate.
The Suez governorate contained 29 archeological sites dating back to the Pharaonic, Greek, Roman and Nuptic ages distributed on 4 sites.
The discovered sites which had existed as engravings in the Valley of Doum in the form of five stone portraits including engravings. In Al Khafori, houses of miners were discovered in the form of circle and oval stones.
An old Pharonic stone was discovered in Kharagi Ennara.
El Kalzam includes a brick-built military castle for King Ramses III. In Abu Daoud, there were two Pharonic wells, which provide miners with water in winter.
The sites which date back to the Greek and Roman areas existed in Tal El Yahodiya which includes limestone buildings used as stores and tombs in the Coptic age.

Egypt restores ancient mural from US
“Egypt brought back an ancient mural from the Metropolitan Museum in New York” said culture Minister Farouk Hosni.
Hosni said that the mural, discovered in Helwan, Egypt by archaeologist Ibrahim Zarqana, was 12 pieces that were auctioned off in Bonhams in London in October.

III. Aviation:

Egypt signs contract with German, French companies to run main airports

Egypt Monday signed contracts with two German and French companies to run Cairo International Airport and other airports across the country.
The German Fraport, the operator of Frankfurt’s Airport, was awarded an eight-year contract to operate Cairo International Airport as of 2005.
The French ADL also won a 6-year contract to operate the airports of Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh, Abu Simbel, Luxor and Aswan.
The two companies are to begin their business within the coming three weeks, said Ibrahim Mana’a, the chairman of the holding company for Airports and Air Navigation.

IV. Hotels and cruises

El-Gezirah Sheraton taken over by Accor
As of January, 2005 Accor hotels will be running the hotel under the name “El-Gezirah hotel”.
The hotel will undergo vast renovations expected to end by next September after which the hotel’s name will become “Sofitel El-Gezirah”.

New vessel sets sail
Grand Hyatt Cairo’s Marquise, the latest private yacht to take to the Nile, aims to provide a unique dining and entertainment experience.
The 73-metre-long, riverboat offers entertainment every evening, whether docked or during its daily lunch and dinner cruises.
Marquise features three distinct outlets: for a classical oriental evening there is Baccarat restaurant and for late-night revelry there is connections disco and bar.
Moon light is an open-air deck outlet offering musical interludes.

New hotel in Taba
Movenpick Hotels and Resorts will open a five-star resort in Taba in early 2005.
The 434-unit property will be situated 25 km from Taba International Airport.

Wireless Internet access
Grand Hyatt Cairo has introduced wireless Internet access in all public areas, including its banquet and meeting rooms. The hotel’s new hot zones offer high-speed wireless Internet access of up to two megabytes per second.

VII. Official Holidays 2005

Fri Jan 7 Coptic Christmas
Thu Jan 20 Eid al Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) (3 days)
Thu Feb 10 El Hijra (Islamic New Year)
Sun May 1 Sham El Nessim (Coptic Easter)
Mon May 2 Coptic Easter Monday (Copts only)
Mon Apr 25 Sinai Liberation Day
Sun May 1 (f) Labour Day
Thu Apr 21 Maulid al Nabi (The Prophet’s Birthday)
Sat Jun 18 (e) Evacuation Day
Sat Jul 23 (e) Revolution Day
Mon Aug 15 Flooding of the Nile
Sun Sep 11 Coptic New Year (Coptic Christians only)
Thu Oct 6 Armed Forces Day
Mon Oct 24 Suez Victory Day
Thu Nov 3 Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) (2 days)
Fri Dec 23 Victory Day

January 5, 2005   Posted in: Egypt