The Minister of Antiquities, Khaled El-Anany, stated on Monday the completion of the Kom Ombo project to lower the underground water level at the site. The project comes with the help of United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the National Authority for Potable Water and Sewage (NAPWAS).
The project’s inauguration witnessed the attendance of Mark Green, the administrator of the USAID, Aswan’s governor, and the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri.
Kom Ombo is one of the richest archaeological sites in Egypt with unique and remarkable relics that suffered from high risks due to the humidity and the continuously increasing underground water level.
The project comes almost a month after the completed restoration of Kom El-Shoqafa archaeological site in Alexandria, which also took place in collaboration with the USAID and the NAPWAS.
In his speech, Anany described his happiness that this project is seeing the light within a month from the similar one, adding that “this partnership comes following the ministry’s plan to preserve Egypt’s heritage.”
Anany asserted that the United States is an essential partner to the ministry, stating there are several missions from the US who come to Egypt for digging and restoration reasons in many archaeological sites including Giza, Karnak Temple, and Luxor.
Both the restoration of Kom Al-Shoqafa archaeological site and the Kom Ombo ended with a total cost of EGP 250m.
The project aims to lower underground water with a goal of saving the structure of the temples, and the antiquities from corrosion.
According to a press release published by the ministry of antiquities, 23 relics were unearthed at the renovation process, including a statue depicting the Sphinx and another one featuring Alexander the Great’s younger brother.
The underground water level increased over the past years due to the active agricultural movement occurring near the site, which led the water to reach the structure of the temples, causing huge potential risks of collapsing.
