Gurna update
February 9th, 2007 by Margaret
If you found the post below on Gurna interesting, there are some notable new articles about the situation. ‘Egypt Today’ notes the benefits and problems of the relocation scheme, with the prospect of the re-discovery of ancient tombs, but also the inadequate housing situation for former residents, some of whom are temporarily homeless.
Also from ‘Egypt Today’, a beautifully poignant article about the culture and history that will be lost in Gurna and a rather more triumphant report by the Egyptian government about President Mubarak inaugurating the new town, supposedly being greeted by ‘by cheering crowds grateful for being offered the chance to lead a new life at a new place that addresses all their needs.’….
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Tourism Minister has stated that touts are a bigger threat than bombs to Egyptian tourism.
I have spent several vacations at the Marsam and have come to be very good friends with the Abd al Rasoul family whose hospitality I enjoyed at their home in the village. I spoke to them last week as they were disbanding their household with utmost sadness. This is so tragic-and really unnnecessary.
I hear the gov’t also has “plans” to decimate the agricultural area surrounding the Marsam which will absolutely destroy in livelihoods of these people.