LUXOR: In a bid to save hundreds of ancient tombs in Luxor, the Egyptian government has begun relocating 3200 families whose livelihoods depend on these burial sites. And while politicians claim the move will preserve an important part of Egypt’s history and scientists say it will make excavations in the area easier, the residents of the village of Old Gurna believe they are being dealt a bad hand.
Old Gurna lies on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor, 500 km south of Cairo. Directly in its backyard lies the grand Temple of Hatshepsut and on either side of the village lie the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, where pharaohs and their brides, sons and daughters were buried more than 3400 years ago.
But Old Gurna is not only known for its strategic location in the midst of ancient history, it lies directly above some of that history itself. For scattered between and directly below the homes of Old Gurna are 950 known tombs of nobles, governors, mayors, and scribes. And archeologists believe there are still hundreds more to be discovered.
The city of Luxor contains one third of the world’s total antiquities and brings in 3.5 million tourists a year, according to Luxor’s governor, Samir Farag. And Old Gurna currently lies on the route of many tour programs, mainly for the alabaster factories that lie along the side of the road.
Tour agencies, guides, and the residents of Old Gurna claim that these factories are important to show tourists how ancient Egyptians used a variety of tools to make such things as pottery and other household utilities. But although the tour agencies, guides and bus drivers receive a large commission from these factories, in some cases up to 75 percent of the total sale, and factory owners and employees depend on these sales for their livelihoods, tourists are not all pleased with this imposed stop between tomb and temple visits.
“To see how handicrafts are made is always a reason to sell, commented Rudy Vanautreve, a Belgian tourist who was biking through Luxor’s West Bank.
“And if you don’t want to buy, [the shop keepers] don’t like it. The government should change this. Vanautreve admitted that he bought many handicrafts during his trip just to be nice. “I came with an eight kilo backpack and I’m leaving with 20 kilos, he smiled.
Old Gurna residents depend on the constant influx of tourists and on the odd jobs provided by archeological missions to make their livings. So their relocation to New Taref, three kilometers down the road and both off the normal tour route and away from the nobles’ tombs they’ve been living over for generations, has been cause for their concern.
But the Egyptian government is adamant that they are doing the right thing. And by the beginning of February 2007, most of the Old Gurna homes will have been demolished and excavations will have started. “This project (the relocation of the Old Gurna residents) is the best thing I ever did in my life, said Zahi Hawwas, secretary general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The homes of Old Gurna, built in the 1920s, are not supplied with a sewage system due to government regulations against it in order to protect the tombs. The result has been the leakage of waste water from the septic tanks built by the locals under the homes, causing damage to many of the tombs in the area.
“Many tombs, such as that of Hui from the era of Tutankhamen, have been completely damaged because of the leakage, said Hawwas. “We’ve also caught people stealing from the tombs, he said. “[The relocation is intended to] help the people and preserve the monuments.If you lose your tombs, you lose your future, he said.
The relocation of the 3200 families of Old Gurna to New Taref is the second largest in Egypt’s history; its first being in the 1960s when tens of thousands of Nubians were relocated as their ancestral homeland was submerged by Lake Nasser due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
The residential compound of New Taref, specifically built as compensation for the residents of Old Gurna, cost the Egyptian government more than US$ 30 million. The government claims that the move will provide its new occupants with better services such as running water, a sewage system, telephones, electricity, schools, a police station, and a post office; incentives announced to residents to convince them to leave.
“They’ve all agreed to relocate with the exception of eight families, said Samir Farag, Luxor’s governor. “And even those [eight families] don’t oppose the move. They just want to be better compensated, he said. “They will move. But we are not forcing them, he was quick to add.
Families who move to New Taref are provided apartments or land, according to a variety of criteria set by the government. “Each home in New Taref is designed to suit the people’s needs, said Farag, adding that the homes also contain an open area for their livestock.
But both Old Gurna residents who have already moved to New Taref, and those who are waiting their turn, complain that the government has come short on its promises. In order to be handed the keys to their new homes, their homes in Old Gurna must first be demolished.
Most residents had thus not seen their new homes until all was gone. Many were shocked to find homes that would not accommodate their extended families, and rooms not suited for their mostly large furniture.
Also, running water has thus far been only available for a couple of hours a day and residents have been warned not to bring their livestock into the compound.
“[The resettlement] is destroying our way of life, said 23-year-old Sayed Al-Ameer, a graduate of the Institute of Tourism and Hotels. “We just can’t live in cities, said Al-Ameer, clad in jeans, a white scarf wrapped around his neck, and dark sunglasses resting on his dark black hair.
Al-Ameer explained that the residents of Old Gurna, similar to other rural residents across Egypt, are accustomed to large homes that embrace extended families. Their homes are designed to accommodate guests, the residents are accustomed to sleeping in the yard during the hot summers, and neighbors’ homes are located at a comfortable distance away.
In New Taref, none of that will be an option. And life-long neighbors and families have become dispersed by their new apartment assignments.
“We are the protectors of this land, said Khaled Rifai, owner of the Monalisa alabaster factory in Old Gurna. “We take care of the antiquities of Old Gurna like we take care of our own children. They bring tourists to us, he said.
And looking away into the distance he adds, “After 1 am when we’re sitting out in our yards, it’s like the pharaohs are speaking to us. It’s a strange feeling. We feel as if the pharaohs live among us.
But among the residents of Old Gurna, the pharaohs will live no more.
