[ad_1]
After 300 years of neglect, the Al-Jeddawi Archaeological Agency, built in 1792 in the Egyptian city of Esna, has come back to life after its recent restoration and development.
Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani inaugurated the Al-Jeddawi Archaeological Agency in Esna on August 29 after completing its restoration with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
During the inauguration ceremony, Anani expressed her joy at the inauguration of the facility, which took almost two years to restore.
He said the restoration process had restored the charm of the facility and highlighted the ministry’s role in preserving Egyptian archaeological and cultural heritage while developing the city’s tourism potential.
The ministry, he noted, has relaunched and opened new tourist attractions and placed Esna on the tourism map, while raising public awareness of tourism and archeology and creating new employment opportunities for them. inhabitants of Esna.
Anani added that the ministry is not only focusing on archeology, but also on the people of Esna.
He said it was not the first time that USAID has participated with the ministry in projects for the restoration and development of archaeological sites, as it has already carried out such projects in Luxor, Aswan, Karnak, Giza, the Historic Cairo and Alexandria.
Anani announced that in order to boost tourism, entry to Al-Jeddawi Archaeological Agency will be free, as is the case at Esna Temple.
At the end of the tour, he thanked all the partners involved in this project. He also thanked the team of Egyptian engineers, archaeologists and restorers for their considerable efforts in this project.
Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told Al-Monitor by telephone that the agency consists of two floors and two red brick buildings. There are many shops on the ground floor, while the upper floor accommodated passing merchants.
The second floor is accessible by two stairs, a north side and another west and northeast side.
The main facade of the agency overlooks the famous Temple of Esna dedicated to the ancient deity Khnum.
The restoration work lasted around two years, during which the agency’s wooden foundations, columns, walls, roofs and ceilings were restored and interior flooring work was carried out. The floors were also replaced and wooden elements such as doors and windows were restored. The facade has been restored and a lighting system has been installed.
Waziri pointed out that the Al-Jeddawi development project aims to preserve Esna’s cultural heritage. He praised “the fruitful cooperation with the United States in the field of tourism and antiquities, as several American archaeological missions are working in Egypt in the field of archaeological excavations and restoration, notably the Chicago House Research Institute in Luxor and the American Research Center in Cairo. “
Waziri noted, “This is not the first time that USAID has cooperated with the ministry to implement restoration and development projects in archaeological sites, as it has already carried out such projects in Luxor, Aswan, Karnak, Giza, historic Cairo and Alexandria.
The United States is working with the Egyptian government and local Esna entities to renovate heritage sites in Esna, including the Old Oil Mill and Qaisariya Market. The U.S. government, through USAID, is investing around $ 8.6 million to revitalize cultural tourism in Esna, in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Ministry of International Cooperation and the Luxor Governorate, according to a press release from the American Embassy in Cairo.
U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Jonathan Cohen visited U.S. government-funded cultural heritage sites and met with local officials, program partners and alumni of U.S. exchange programs in Sohag governorates and Luxor on August 28 and 29.
Cohen said: “It was a productive visit to Upper Egypt – to the red and white monasteries of Sohag and the Temple of Seti I in Abydos, to the city of Esna and to the sites of Luxor. Egypt’s cultural heritage is truly amazing, as is the immense hospitality of the Egyptian people.
After the inauguration of the Al-Jeddawi Archaeological Agency, which was attended by Cohen and Anani, the United States Ambassador met with alumni of exchange programs sponsored by the United States government.
Asked about the history of the Al-Jeddawi agency, Nasr Salama, a former deputy secretary of the Aswan Ministry of Antiquities, told Al-Monitor that the former trade movement stopped in Al-Jeddawi soon after. the agency’s establishment in 1792, as shopping malls began to change across Egypt.
He explained that the agency’s building suffered significant damage in the past when its internal parts collapsed, prompting the Antiquities Ministry to launch its restoration in 2018.
He said: “The agency was established by Prince Hassan al-Jeddawi in 1792. The latter was called ‘al-Jeddawi’ because he took control of the emirate of Jeddah during the reign of ‘ Ali the Great in 1184 hijra year. He had strong trade relations with Upper Egypt. He established the agency opposite the temple of Esna as an economic center, as this facility played a role in the trade of spices and goods from Yemen.
Salama noted: “It is the only integrated agency from the Ottoman era that is built of burnt mud bricks and designed in harmony with the style of buildings in the Arabian Peninsula.”
He concluded by saying that this agency plays an important economic role in inbound trade from Yemen, Somalia and South Africa.
[ad_2]
