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Egypt restores Golden Shrine at ancient temple in Luxor

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the completion of restoration works at the Golden Shrine in the Temple of Habu in Luxor, built in memory of King Ramses III.

A visitor takes pictures of the hieroglyph-adorned walls in KV11, the Tomb of Pharaoh Ramses III, at the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank of the Nile River, Luxor, Egypt, Jan. 18, 2022.
A visitor takes pictures of the hieroglyph-adorned walls in KV11, the Tomb of Pharaoh Ramses III, at the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank of the Nile River, Luxor, Egypt, Jan. 18, 2022. — Amir Makar/AFP via Getty Images

CAIRO — The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced Aug. 4 that it had finished restoring the Golden Shrine in the Temple of Habu on the western bank of Luxor governorate in southern Egypt.

“This restoration comes within the framework of the ministry’s plan to restore and develop archaeological sites throughout the country, especially archaeological sites in Upper Egypt,” the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement.

The secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mustafa Waziri, was quoted in the ministry’s statement as saying, “The restoration work was carried out by Egyptian restorers affiliated with the Supreme Council of Antiquities. The work revolved around fixing the damage caused by erosion and passage of time, allowing the shrine to regain its original golden color.”

The director general of maintenance and restoration in Upper Egypt, Saadi Awad, said in the ministry’s statement, “The restoration of the Golden Shrine is part of the Habu Temple restoration project that began in March. The restoration works included preliminary strengthening works before cleaning, mechanical and chemical cleaning works, dirt removal, replacing old dilapidated restorations on walls, in addition to various wall strengthening works.”

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