The recent fantastic discovery of unknown underground pyramids and lost cities in Egypt is nothing short of a miracle. As excavation works proceed, the country hopes to restore its peace and boost local tourism.
This year’s political unrest in Egypt has had a very deep impact on the country’s economy. Tourism, which accounts for 11% of the country’s income, has suffered massively and many of formerly frequented resorts are struggling to attract as little as 10% of original numbers.
The country is on its way to recovery, however, desperately needs to attract more visitors. When times were hardest, a US Egyptologist Dr Sarah Parcak of the University of Alabama made an incredible discovery of 17 previously unknown underground pyramids as well as approximately 1,000 tombs and 3,000 settlements.
The timing could not be better; the discovery has been made thanks to infra-red images acquired by satellites orbiting 400 miles above the earth. While studying these in great detail, Dr Parcak and her team praised this new technology which has the capacity to detect objects less than a meter long.
The excavation works have been launched only recently, however, have already produced valuable evidence. Two pyramids have already been uncovered and many findings date back some 3,000 years.
The excavation works are currently under way in Saqqara, and as the news spreads, tourists with passion for ancient Egypt will hopefully start coming back. In an attempt to lure back tourists, some previously inaccessible sites, such as seven tombs of leading retainers of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, have now opened to the public.
The country is desperate to get local tourism back on its feet and is prepared to make every foreign visit worthwhile. It is safe to say, that never before have there been so many ancient treasures available to explore freely. Hopefully, many visitors will appreciate that.
