Egyptian antiquities PM inspects Karnak Temple amid Luxor visit

Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh el Damati inspected Saturday the Karnak Temple amid his visit to Luxor to inaugurate a project to lighten the western mainland in the Upper Egyptian city.

El Damati was received upon arrival at Luxor International Airport by the city's governor Mohamed Badr.

The minister made a tour in temples of Karnak and Luxor, along with mummification Museum.

El Damati will inaugurate a project to lighten the western mainland, the Ramesseum Temple, Ramesses IV, Ramesses III, and Seti I tombs in the area of the Valley of the Kings.

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.