Antiquities minister to inaugurate project to lighten Luxor's mainland

Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh el Damati will inaugurate a project to lighten the western mainland in the Upper Egyptian city of Luxor next week.

Once lightened, visit hours to the archaeological area will be extended until 11 p.m. during the summer and 9.00 p.m. in winter, Damati said on Saturday.

The project is meant to open archaeological sites for visits at night because many tourists tend to avoid the high temperature in summer mornings, the minister explained.

The project, which is implemented in cooperation with Spain, cost about 30 million euros offered by the EU in soft loans, Damati said.

It is also part of the Ministry's efforts to protect monuments and activate tourism, he added.

The project is believed to turn Luxor into an all-year-long tourist destination and not only in winter, Damati said.