Cairo - Egypt's Supreme Council for Antiquities (SCA) has allocated 12-million Egyptian pounds (about R12,3-million) to renovate a twelfth dynasty Pharaonic temple in Egypt's southern Sinai, an official said on Monday.
SCA Secretary-General Zahi Hawass announced that the project to renovate the Sarabit el-Khadim temple is expected to be complete and open to tourists in May.
Built upon a 755m-high summit reached by a tortuous path, the temple consists of open courts and sanctuaries dedicated to the goddess Hathor.
The temple was built as grounds for the different mining expeditions in the mountain to extract turquoise and is considered the only Pharaonic temple to include names of anyone other than the royalty or gods.
Continues Below ↓
The temple is known as "the people's place" because inscribed on its walls are the names of 387 leaders of mining expeditions.
Hawass said the renovation will include paving a more accessible route for tourists to reach the temple as well as building a fence to protect the inscribed walls.
Resting and recreation areas will also be set up for tourists, he added. - Sapa-dpa
|