Tourists stay away as Egypt reopens oldest pyramid
Egypt has finally reopened its oldest pyramid after 14 years of restoration work, but the timing could have been better.
No tourists are in sight near Giza's pyramids as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on the country’s tourism industry, casting a shadow over the reopening of Egypt’s oldest pyramid after the completion of a major restoration project.
Egypt has reopened its oldest pyramid, Djoser in Saqqara, south of Cairo, after a major restoration project that lasted 14 years. Djoser, a 4,700-year-old pyramid located in Memphis, the first Egyptian capital, is the oldest standing pyramid in Egypt. Its restoration cost 104 million Egyptian pounds (approximately $6.7 million), according to the Egyptian government.
The March 5 reopening, which took place at the famous amphitheater at the foot of the step pyramid, offered some good news for the country’s tourism sector, which has been dealt a severe blow from the coronavirus, as well as the archaeological sector.
Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri said that the restoration is one of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' most important projects.
