Highway plan around pyramids alarms Egyptologists
Work has resumed on two controversial highways that cross close to the Egyptian pyramids outside of Cairo, as part of ambitious plans championed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to build a new capital city.
Building was initially suspended in the 1990s after international outcry, but the new expanded plans will see the northern section of highway crossing the desert just 1.6 miles south of the Great Pyramids.
Each highway is expected to be about eight lanes wide, with critics saying they could cause irrevocable damage close to sole survivor of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Said Zulficar is a former UNESCO senior official and successfully campaigned in the mid 1990s to suspend construction.
"Normally, in world heritage site or in the buffer zone, because a world heritage zone has a buffer zone around it, which allows some construction, provided there's been an environmental impact study made before. And if the environmental study is negative, and says that it might impair the site, it should be stopped."
Authorities say they will build with care around the world heritage site and improve transport links that will help ease central Cairo's congestion.
Construction began well over a year ago in desert areas that were largely out of public sight.
The work then became more visible around March, according to egyptologists and images taken from Google Earth.
