Aswan oil

By Salama A Salama

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The boat slid across smooth water, taking its time, taking it easy. We were travelling down the Nile, north to south, against the current, the same journey boats have taken since time immemorial. As we moved away from the crowded capital, from the hustle and bustle of the megalopolis, sleepy villages started to appear. Small habitats began to appear along the river banks, basking in their old ways, enveloped in an enviable simplicity. I missed out on the entire hullabaloo that went on in Cairo about constitutional reforms. But I did some catching up too.

The south is changing all the time. During my trip I had the chance to see how Luxor and Aswan and other southern towns have changed over the years. Qena, Edfu, Kom Ombo have all been transformed by booming tourism and the municipal care that comes with it. Tourist boats have brought more than visitors to the ancient towns. The infrastructure has improved and the towns look more orderly than before. The government is obviously taking good care of the tourist sites, as one should in a country that dwells more on its past than on its future.

Luxor has turned from a small, disorderly village into a modern town, a town proud of the great ruins it contains, a town coping with the legacy of the perfectionists who built those splendid structures of the past. Effort has gone into planning and development, especially in the tourist areas. The effect is particularly obvious near the Luxor and Karnak temples. Much has been done to free the ancient sites from the damaging effect of the encroachment of random buildings and rising water table. One remarkable achievement was the relocation of the inhabitants of Gorna into a new town that is well endowed with schools and services, far away from the old location atop the ancient tombs on the West Bank. The operation was a cooperative one between the Luxor Municipal Council and the Department of Antiquities. Admittedly, the change may be tough for the inhabitants at first but the whole move was necessary and long overdue.

In Aswan, the bazaar area is undergoing a complete transformation, with many streets pedestrianised. After years of neglect the piles of garbage have finally disappeared. There are also rumours of oil discoveries but Aswan inhabitants don't talk much about them, perhaps to fend off the evil eye. If the reports I heard turn out to be true, Aswan may undergo an industrial and construction boom that will completely transform the town, crating many new jobs.

When I asked about who was funding such urban revival I was told that most of the money came from foreign donors, especially France, Japan, Germany and the UK. The antiquities that attract foreign tourists have attracted donors, which is good. But there is more work that needs to be done. Dozens of docking platforms are in an advanced stage of dilapidation and visitors risk life and limb trying to negotiate outdated jetties. But most important of all, we need to extend the current wave of renewal to the small villages that surround the major urban centres. Only this will restore the south to its former glory. Such a task requires the collaboration of local and municipal authorities, and we need to help them every step of the way. Is this too much to ask?