The 2,400-year-old ancient Egyptian Avenue of the Sphinxes will be opened to the public in October after a painstaking five-year project to restore the historic route to its original splendour, the antiquities ministry has announced.
The 2.7 kilometre-long avenue lined with sphinxes connects the grand temples of Luxor and Karnak and was built during the reign of 30th dynasty Pharaoh Nectanebo I, who ruled Egypt from 80–362 BC.
The avenue replaced an earlier one built during the reign of 18th dynasty Queen Hatshepsut (1502-1482 BC) and was used for religious ceremonies and processions, marking the annual journey of the sacred boat of Amun on the God’s visit to his wife Mut at Luxor temple.
The avenue contains many inscriptions including one to Queen Cleopatra, most likely from her visit to the avenue during a Nile trip with Mark Anthony.
Through the ages, many of the sphinxes were destroyed and sections of the avenue were covered with sand and buried under shanty towns.
The $20 million restoration project has focused on excavation, conservation, treatment of the water table and the construction of protective walls and tourist entrances, as well as relocating houses and roads, the antiquities ministry said.
The antiquities ministry is organising a special inauguration ceremony at the ave-nue with special floodlights to showcase the artistic bea-uty of the sphinxes, which will be opened by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf.
By arrangement with AKI