Egypt revives ancient road connecting Luxor and Karnak

Luxor, November 28 (BNA) A restored road was revealed today, Thursday, linking two ancient Egyptian temple complexes in Karnak and Luxor in a grandiose ceremony aimed at raising the status of one of the most important tourist sites in Egypt.

The 2.7-kilometre (1.7 mi) road reopening procession included a re-enactment of the ancient Opet Festival, where statues of the goddess of Thebes were paraded annually during the New Kingdom to celebrate the fertility and flood of the Nile.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi walked all the way at the start of the ceremony. Pharaonic carriages and more than 400 young artists dressed in pharaonic costumes were paraded along the street, according to Reuters.

The 3,400-year-old road that connects the ancient centers of Karnak and Luxor, also known as the Way of the Rams or the Avenue of the Sphinx, is lined with hundreds of sphinxes with human heads and rams, although many have passed through the years. corroded or destroyed.

The road has undergone several restoration efforts since its discovery in 1949, the last of which began in 2017.

Tourism is an important source of jobs and hard currency for Egypt, which has made concerted efforts to lure travelers who have given up on the coronavirus pandemic.

In April, 22 ancient royal mummies from nearby Luxor and the Valley of the Kings were transported in procession from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.

Tourism revenues in Egypt declined to about 4 billion dollars in 2020, down from 13 billion dollars in 2019.

HF