Report: "Ongoing Development of the City of Luxor, Egypt" Submitted to: UNESCO's International Heritage Committee and the International Union of Architects (UIA) By: Society of Egyptian Architects (UIA Egyptian National Section) and the academic architecture community The City of Luxor is now undergoing a wide-ranging programme of urban development. The city's local authority is simultaneously undertaking several projects in the historic areas of the Karnak Temple, the Luxor Temple, the Avenue of the Sphinxes, the Nobles' Tombs of the New Kingdom, and the new and old villages of Gourna on the West Bank. New streets have also opened, and public squares and market places are under renovation. A project for a large marina to house 200 cruise boat hotels and other tourist facilities in an area of about 500 acres, also on the West Bank, is now in the planning stage. Luxor's city mayor and his assistants presented details of these projects to us during a joint meeting 18 April 2007. Also, a special committee visited various work sites on 2-4 May 2007 and their findings were reported to our Society and to other architectural organisations. It is our feeling that development of Luxor should be carried out according to a well thought out, comprehensive and long-range plan. It should be studied in depth, taking into full consideration the historic status of the city and its distinguished place in the development of human civilisation. Also, Luxor's special natural and urban setting must be carefully considered. The present programme does not contain the requisite outstanding vision or creative conceptual ideas to match the historic uniqueness of Luxor. Work is being carried out in a hasty fashion and will certainly have a negative effect on Luxor's monuments and their surroundings. It will probably also bring fundamental changes to the urban structure of the city at odds with the art and science of the proper preservation of historical cities. We expressed our deep concerns to the concerned authorities in our government and submitted a well- defined proposal to direct current redevelopment in the right direction. We are aware that any project of such magnitude ought to be presented in advance to UNESCOs International Heritage Committee for approval, and its implementation should be carried out in full cooperation with this committee and other international agencies. This procedure was not followed -- to our regret -- in the case of Luxor. Because of the gravity of the situation, we ask for your support in our present campaign, the object of which is in brief: that the renovation of Luxor must be carried out through the proper channels and in the way stated clearly in international documents concerning the preservation of sites of world heritage. Your contact with our government will be most appreciated by the architectural community of Egypt and the Society of Egyptian Architects.
