2 - 8 May 2002
Issue No.584
|
Al-Ahram Weekly Online 2 - 8 May 2002 Issue No.584 |
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Warring over the past
The discovery of the remains of a series of Ptolemaic tombs and temples -- unearthed during the construction of a hotel in Alexandria -- has triggered a row between antiquities officials. Nevine El-Aref reports
It is becoming a familiar storyline. Urban development is unexpectedly interrupted by an archaeological discovery and a row erupts over the site's relative importance. Property interests inevitably clash with heritage concerns.
This well-known story is unfolding once more on Alexandria's Corniche where the Egyptian army is constructing a club and hotel complex in the Mustafa Kamel area. The centre is due to replace the armed forces' previous centre, demolished last year as part of an ambitious plan to develop and preserve the once cosmopolitan city.
Work on constructing the hotel's foundation started at the beginning of this year but was abruptly stopped two weeks ago when workers stumbled across what they believe are the remnants of Ptolemaic tombs and temples as well as bunkers that the allied troops used during World War II. This historical pot pourri was found at the north- eastern side of the construction site.
The discovery has revived a hotly- debated issue: Should urban development be pursued at the expense of an archaeological site or should heritage considerations come first? The question has triggered a fierce row amongst antiquities officials.
Some want to excavate the site and then decide whether to proclaim it an archaeological site or allow construction to go ahead, while others insist that construction should go ahead without interruption.
"Why all the fuss?" Ahmed Abdel- Fattah, general director of Museums and Antiquities in Alexandria, asks. "The newly discovered collection is nothing more than fragments and severely- degraded tombs and temples," he told Al-Ahram Weekly.
Abdel-Fattah explained that the site was severely abused in the past. In the Middle Ages, it was used as a quarry to provide construction materials. When World War II broke out, allied soldiers saw the site's strategic potential and transformed it into a military zone, installing their heavy weapons and destroying what lay hidden beneath the ground in the process. Finally, the four strong earthquakes that rocked Alexandria in the past have also contributed to the sinking and deterioration of a number of Ptolemaic monuments as well as Alexandria's oldest port, Heracleion.
"Construction work is halted for the time being, pending the completion of the SCA's archaeological inspection and our establishing whether the area contains antiquities or not," Abdel-Fattah asserted.
Zahi Hawass, general-secretary of the SCA, supported Abdel-Fattah's argument, adding that the armed forces have been cooperative. "When workers came upon a fragment, they immediately informed the SCA. Work came to a halt and a sum of LE15,000 was allocated for further archaeological inspection," Hawass said.
On the other hand, a team of junior archaeologists, who asked that they not be named, have doubts about the possibility of reconciling constant construction activity alongside ongoing archaeological discoveries. They claimed that previous experience has taught them that some SCA officials have tried to forge the identity of some locations, the northern coast being one. "Many monuments have vanished while these luxurious tourist villages continue to spread along the coast," they said.
For their part, antiquities officials deny that they are abusing their authority in allowing Egypt's heritage to be built on and claim they are trustworthy guardians of Egypt's past.
"This endless controversy should stop," said Abdel-Fattah. "Inspection work is still under way and a final decision has still to be taken. We do have two options," he argued, "Should well- preserved monuments be unearthed, then the whole area will be proclaimed an archaeological site, outlined and fenced-in so that it can be turned into a tourist destination. If not, the discovered fragments will be restored, documented and removed to the Graeco-Roman museum in central Alexandria. Should this happen, the land will subsequently be returned to its owner and construction resumed," he concluded.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise! |
WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg |
 Al-Ahram Organisation |
Recommend this page