The restorers of antiquities in Egypt led the epic of success on the Pharaonic Rams Road, which extends from the Karnak Temple in the north to Luxor Temple in the south, which reaches 2,700 meters. Sky News Arabia.
The largest open air museum in the world
Last October, the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Khaled al-Anani, confirmed that the Rams Road project in Luxor is one of the most important archaeological projects undertaken by the state, to transform the governorate into the “largest open museum in the world”, by linking several temples with the Grand Processions Road for a distance of a distance. It extends for about 2,700 metres.
Zaki explains to “Sky News Arabia” the efforts made in the new rams road, saying: “The experiment began in 2007, and there were many difficulties, such as the presence of the road in the middle of a residential area, and the spread of buildings and agricultural lands around it, so a plan was prepared to save the rams from these conditions. difficult”.
The director of the restoration of Karnak antiquities added: “Work stopped for years before efforts resumed in 2017, with great support and interest from the government, and the restoration men engaged in conducting a comprehensive survey of rams by photographing and documenting each artifact, then removing dust and completing mechanical and chemical cleaning.”
Zaki continues: “We received large numbers of rams and parts of them, whether the ram’s head or the bases, after they were found by archaeologists during searches in the area, and their condition was poor, but we made a strenuous effort to deal with the old restoration and re-install it with modern materials, and to show The original colors of each artifact.
Restoration teams from all over Egypt
The archaeological restorer continues: “We relied on the restoration men in Luxor Governorate, as well as the use of the most prominent restorers from the rest of Egypt’s governorates, due to the huge volume of work, due to our keenness to prepare the rams on time. “.
Regarding the needs of the restoration men of special tools and materials, the director of the restoration of Karnak antiquities told Sky News Arabia: “The state did not spare any needs. Provide it immediately or import it from outside Egypt.
And he added: “After years of hard work, we succeeded in completing the restoration of all the rams, the last of which were discovered in the Nagaa Abu Asba area, and only the last frills remain, and all the artifacts will be ready during the ceremony that will be held at the opening, which is an unprecedented achievement in the field of archaeology. “.
For his part, the restorer of antiquities in Luxor, Salah Salem, notes that he and his colleagues restored different types of rams during this project.
He explained to “Sky News Arabia” that they had received statues of rams, some with a lion’s body and a ram’s head, in the area of the “Mutt” temple, and another with a human head near Luxor Temple, and a third with a body and a ram’s head on the Sphinx Road.
The man who participated in the restoration of the rams of Tahrir Square at the beginning of this year said: “All the participants in the restoration operations worked with great focus, as a result of the deteriorating condition in which some of the rams were found, as it was necessary to revive them again and restore them to their first beautiful image.”
An epidemic and a scorching sun
Regarding the challenges that the restoration teams faced during the Pharaonic Rams Road development project, Salem told Sky News Arabia: “We faced many difficulties, including working under the scorching sun in Luxor, where we are engaged in restoration operations in open areas, but it did not affect our resolve. “.
He also points out that the outbreak of the Corona epidemic posed a major obstacle to their mission, adding: “But we quickly skipped the matter and returned to the restoration, while adhering to the precautionary measures.”
The thirtieth archaeological restorer concludes his speech to “Sky News Arabia”, stressing that “all the restoration men feel proud of their participation in this unique step in the world of Egyptian archaeology,” and that this memory “will remain stuck in their minds and they will be keen to talk about it constantly in front of new generations.”
It is assumed that excavations, archaeological discoveries and restoration work will continue after the official opening of the road, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, as it is a great addition and enrichment to one of the largest archaeological sites in Egypt.
It is expected that these efforts will unveil everything related to the ancient city of Thebes through the ages.
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