Luxor's west bank receives another facelift

Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosny, announced that the newly installed lighting system on Luxor’s west bank has been completed with a budget of 56 million LE.

A view of the newly illuminated west bank of Luxor. Hatshepsut's mortuary temple is shown in the foreground (Photo: SCA)He added that the project was carried out by the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) in collaboration with Egypt’s Sound and Light organization and the foremost French company in lighting, called Architecture Lumière, chosen from several international lighting organization.

Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the SCA, said that the aim of this project is to preserve the tombs and temples located on Luxor’s west bank; the huge number of visitors that flock onto it will now be distributed throughout the day, from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. This, he continued, will reduce the level of humidity inside the tombs, which negatively affect its paintings. Hawass explains that the new lighting system will also provide a beautiful and a dramatic scene at night for the pedestrians walking along the Nile corniche on the east bank in Luxor.

The hill of Gurna on the west bank of Luxor. The illuminated tombs of the nobles can be seen dotting the landscape (Photo: SCA)Major General Essam Abdel Hadi, Head of the Egypt Sound and Light Organization, said that the 922 lighting units have been installed on Luxor’s west bank were carefully installed by using GPS in order suit the rocky area of Luxor’s west bank. The lighting units can support high rates of temperature, dryness, as well as fighting against erosion and corrosion.
Dr. Sabri Abdel Aziz, Head of the Pharaonic Antiquities at the SCA, said that that the project included the lighting of the mountains located on the west bank, the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, the noblemen’s tombs, the northern side of Al-Qurna, and Hatshepsut’s temple.

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