Hoping for a Better World Post COVID-19, Egypt Sterilizes Giza Pyramid
Due to the nature of their businesses, worldwide tourism and hospitality industry are mostly among the first ones to witness a backlash in times of pandemics. Past records clearly reflect how epidemics and pandemics like the COVID-19 have heavily impacted the hotels, airlines industries, travel agencies and the tourism sector as a whole.
At a time when countries all over the world are struggling to fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, the Egyptian authorities are utilizing this time to sterilize famous monuments, including the Giza Pyramid Complex. A team of six people with adequate masks, hazmat protection and industrial cleaning equipment was spotted sterilizing the surroundings of Khuzu, Khafre and Menkaure pyramids on March 25.
Setting a great example for the other countries, the Egyptian authorities are utilizing this time for restoring the lost splendor of their monuments. Clearly, the COVID-19 has spared the authorities with ample time to improve visitor experience at the Giza Pyramid Complex which is otherwise filled with tourist crowd.
The government has suspended entry into the pyramids till April 15 as a precautionary measure against further spread of the virus. Speaking about the maintenance initiative the Director-General of the Giza Plateau — Ashraf Mohi al-Din said, “We take advantage of this suspension to prepare the archaeological zone in terms of maintenance and restoration so that when tourism recovers, the area of the pyramids is in its maximum splendour to receive its visitors.”
As a part of the sterilization process, the Giza Pyramid entrance, ticket offices, the walk-throughs and the roads around the three monuments and the Sphinx, will be cleaned. The Karnak and Abu Simbel temples are also undergoing similar restoration.
Taking timely steps to contain the spread of virus in the popular tourist destination of Luxor after an outbreak of COVID 19 on a River Nile cruise ship, the Egyptian authorities have put the entire tourism sector under a quarantine period until the end of this month.
Similar to this shutdown of the Giza Pyramid, the Pyramids of Djoser were shut down earlier in 2011 after Egypt’s popular uprisingthat toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak, but it was resumed at the end of 2013.
Despite adhering to the need of the hour to control COVID-19 spread by closing tourist entries, the Egyptian authorities are setting a great example for governments all over the world by completing construction projects that were left unattended since a long time.
