Peddlers banned from Giza Pyramids as part of improvement project
Peddlers banned from Giza Pyramids as part of improvement project
Peddlers selling trinkets and camel rides have been banned from the Giza Pyramids area in Egypt. The clampdown on the hawkers is part of a project to modernise the area and improve it for tourists.
By
banning peddlers, officials in
Egypt are aiming to improve the experience for tourists visiting the
Giza Pyramids, reports The Associated Press. The move is part of a $26m
improvement project which began seven years ago.
"It was a zoo. Now we are protecting the tourists and the ancient monuments," said Egypt's chief archaeologist Zahi Hawass. As well as banning hawkers from the
pyramids, which are one of the
Wonders of the World, security has been improved with the construction of a
12-mile fence featuring cameras, alarms and motion detectors.
Tourists have been known to climb on the pyramids, which are 5,000 years old, and the 13-feet high fence aims to curb this; "Intruders can't jump over this" said Kamal Wahid, the site's general director. Tourists will now enter through a new brick entrance with gates equipped with
metal detectors and
X-ray machines.
CCTV cameras have also been installed.
More improvements are still to be made; a new lighting system, a cafeteria, visitor centre and book shop are all in the pipeline. An area is also to be designated for horse and camel rides.
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