The United States and the American Research Center in Egypt Announce a $1.5 Million Program to Conserve Egypt’s Cultural Heritage and Expand Economic Opportunities

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The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) launched phase two of the Cultural Heritage Tourism program to conserve cultural heritage sites in Luxor and Sohag in order to improve the quality of tourists’ experience. This new phase brings total U.S. investments in the Cultural Heritage Tourism program to more than $4.15 million, which to date have conserved and restored two tombs in Dra Abu El Naga, provided jobs to 400 Egyptian antiquities workers, and trained 76 Egyptian conservators. The new program will also provide additional training opportunities for Egyptian antiquities professionals to better protect and manage the sites, and will provide employment opportunities for semi-skilled workers from the areas around the sites.

This program will also reinforce the U.S.-Egypt agreement on cultural property protection by relocating the storage for Amarna-period talatat blocks that currently adjoin the Khonsu Temple.

Commenting on the importance of the program’s expansion, USAID Mission Director Leslie Reed said, “The United States and the American Research Center in Egypt have a long and successful history of working together, along with the Government of Egypt, to preserve Egypt’s rich history which is an important driver of Egypt’s dynamic tourism sector. This new funding demonstrates our commitment to protecting Egypt’s cultural heritage assets, while also providing meaningful employment and training opportunities to Egyptian antiquities professionals.”

The American people, through the U.S. Government, have provided assistance valued at over $100 million since 1992 to preserve and restore cultural heritage sites in Old Cairo, Luxor, Alexandria, Sohag, and the Red Sea, including more than $75 million to projects implemented by ARCE. Conservation efforts span the full range of Egypt’s long cultural heritage from prehistoric times to the late Ottoman period and include monuments and masterpieces from every major period.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Egypt.