Egypt-U.S. Partnership Protects Antiquities

August 19, 2011

Egypt and the United States have worked together for over ten years to protect Egypt’s historic monuments from rising groundwater.

During a visit to Giza on August 13, U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Anne W. Patterson surveyed the work to protect the Sphinx. “Americans are proud to work in partnership with Egypt to protect these World Heritage Sites,” she remarked. “They are a part of Egypt’s proud history and draw tourists from all over the world."

Over the past few decades, many of Egypt’s Pharaonic monuments have started to deteriorate at an accelerated rate as a result of problems related to rising groundwater. For over a decade, Egypt and the U.S. have been working on large-scale engineering projects to protect monuments all over the country, including Giza, Old Cairo, East Luxor, and West Luxor.