Egypt’s landmarks brought online for visitors, tourists
Madrid / Cairo, Apr 30 (EFE) .- Egyptology enthusiasts now can take tours at Djoser Pyramid, Luxor’s ancient tombs of the Valley of the Kings or the catacombs of Kom al-Shoqafa in Alexandria from their homes.
People can virtually visit monuments, museums, tombs and pyramids from their couches without having to purchase tickets or wait in long lines.
Egypt launched on 3 April a series of virtual and guided video tours of museums and archeological sites around the country, available on the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities’ official website and its social media platforms under the slogan “Experience Egypt from Home. Stay Home. Stay Safe.”
The move came as the spread of coronavirus has locked down countries and forced visitors and tourists to stay at home as part of measures to fight the pandemic.
On 5 March, Egypt reopened the Step Pyramid of Djoser (2687-2668 BC), located in the archeological complex of Saqqara, after a 14-year-long restoration work.
Few tourists had been able to enjoy the reopening of the 4,700-year-old pyramid in the country since the mandatory suspension of all visits to museums and archeological site came just days later, on 21 March.
However, people can now virtually tour the burial chamber, the maze of galleries and the exterior of the pyramid that is believed to be the oldest in Egypt. It was built by the architect Imhotep in a 28-meter-deep cavity, and formed it by placing six mastabas on top of each other.
Among the tours is the Tomb of Two Brothers, which contains the chamber tomb of Khnum-Nakht and Nekht-Ankh, ancient Egyptian priests during the reign of Pharaoh Nyuserre Ini of the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom Period.
This archeological site has raised debates in the world of archeology since two men are shown holding noses and hugging each other on one of the walls, a rare scene in Ancient Egypt.
Egyptologists are divided: some believe that they are twin brothers, while others think that it is a homosexual couple.
