CAIRO: The Supreme Council of Antiquities added the Japanese Kiosk and Citadel Hill, both located in Cairo’s Giza Zoo, to the roster of Islamic and Coptic antiquities because of their architectural, archaeological and historic uniqueness.
Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that he plans to present the results of the report of the Archaeological Committee on the Japanese Kiosk and Citadel Hill to the Standing Committee of the Islamic and Coptic Antiquities in its next meeting.
He explained that the committee had inspected the facilities in the zoos that were built at the turn of the last century during the reign of Khedive Ismail, which include a number of distinguished buildings and monuments.
The committee recommended registering the Japanese Kiosk and Citadel Hill with the Islamic and Coptic antiquities.
Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni, had reportedly said that the Giza Zoo “must be classified as an antiquity in the next meeting of the Standing Committee. It is an antiquity according to the law, because it was built more than a hundred years ago.
Mohamed Abdel Aziz, an Islamic Antiquities official, confirmed these reports, “There are ongoing considerations that some parts of the Giza Zoo will be appended to the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The announcement comes amid unconfirmed rumors that the government was planning to put up the zoo, located in the heart of the capital, for sale.
The rumors had triggered controversy because the Giza Zoo remains one of a few affordable parks in Cairo catering to Egypt’s lower income brackets. Entrance tickets cost LE 1.
