Giza Sphinx not threatened by water

Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities rebuked reports that the Sphinx is in danger after some media reported that water below the surface nearby could damage the 4,500-year-old monument. “There is not any danger at all to the Sphinx from the effects of this water, which remains at a distance from it of about 50 metres,” Egypt’s state-run MENA news agency quoted antiquities official Sabry Abdel Aziz as saying.

Concerns about potential damage to the limestone statue were raised last month after reports of salt deposits near the statue. The Giza complex that contains the Sphinx and pyramids is one of Egypt’s most popular draws for tourists, whose numbers hit a record 9.7 million in the year ending in June.

http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL1544311.html

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 15th, 2007 at 3:42 pm and is filed under Egyptology, Tourism. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.