Destruction of World Heritage The constant rise of the groundwater table
and the increasing salinization of the water have caused great damage to most
of Egypt’s ancient monuments between Luxor and Alexandria, remnants of
unique cultures. In many cases the groundwater today reaches their founda-
tions, so that the salts concentrated in the stones activate the processes of
chemical weathering that make the masterpieces of ancient masonry and
architecture that have survived for thousands of years in Egypt’s desert climate
crumble away. This means a loss for the whole world. For Egypt it means
also an economic loss that the whole nation will feel one day, for tourism still
depends to a considerable extent on these monuments. Costly repairs have had
to be carried out and special techniques developed to solve the problem. The
dismantling of parts of the Luxor Temple alone and its reconstruction on a
plate of concrete and steel cost several million US$. Already work has begun
to create replicas of some of the ancient tombs that have suffered from the
rising groundwater level. In the long run this will not satisfy the people who
come to Egypt to see authentic examples of the Pharaonic culture.