CAIRO - The archaeological sties at Saqqara and el-Badrasheen in Giza and Meet Rahina, about 25km south of Cairo, were already in a state of chaos before the recent revolution. But now, in the absence of the Antiquities Police, things are getting worse. Gangs have been stealing antiquities from these sites and also illegally building on this State-owned land. The ministries of tourism, interior and culture have been doing nothing to stop this, so the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces should step in and arrest these criminals. Gomaa Saad, a farmer at Meet Rahina, regrets that there has been a noticeable lack of security there for a long time. “It has got worse in recent weeks with people digging for antiquities and building on the State-owned land here,” he adds. “These violations have been happening for the past decade and officials haven't done anything about it. When the revolution erupted, the Antiquities Police and the cultural officials working here disappeared, which has only exacerbated the problem. Amr Wagdi told Al-Massai'ya newspaper that the same thing has been happening at el-Badrasheen. Thieves have been busy stealing antiquities from el-Gabri, a 20-feddan area of e, part of el-Badrasheen. “In recent years, tens of homes have been built there on the palace of Zulikha, the wife of the Egyptian ruler in the era of the Prophet Joseph,” says Wagdi. Ahmed Rawash warns that something must be done urgently in Meet Rahina, el-Badrasheen and Saqqara; if not, 600 feddans will be destroyed by thieves digging for antiquities and building new homes there. The Fakhri archaeological area of Meet Rahina is one of the places where many new homes are being constructed. Other areas are Tell Azizia, near the Memphis Museum, and el-Torab, where the Betah Temple is gradually being swamped by sewage. The Statue of Ramses was found there. It was moved to Ramses Square and then to the Grand Egyptian Museum, in the process of being constructed. According to Rawash, these archaeological areas need to be sensibly managed, to put an end to the corruption and thieving. Hassan Mohamed agrees, noting that Saqqara and el-Badrasheen have been plundered for many years. Ex-chief of Antiquities Zahi Hawass has called for the necessity of securing the nation's archaeological sites and museums. What has been happening is a major scandal, as the antiquities that are being stolen are priceless and irreplaceable.
