Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis

• Changes in traditional ways of life and knowledge system
• Deliberate destruction of heritage (Demolitions in the villages of Gourna on the West Bank of the Nile and transfer of the population)
• Flooding: Risks of flooding (Valleys of Kings and Queens)
• Housing and agricultural encroachment on the West Bank of the Nile
• Human resources: Limited available technical and human resources
• Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation: Absence of strategy to manage and control tourism sustainably
• Lack of a Conservation Plan for the property
• Major infrastructure and development projects taking place or scheduled
• Management Activities
• Management systems/management plan: Absence of a comprehensive Management Plan
• Natural decay and structural problems
• Neglect of important modern heritage, namely Hassan Fathy’s buildings in New Gourna
• Uncontrolled urban development
• Water (rain/water table): Rising underground water level

Total amount granted: USD 1,131,000 from the Japanese Funds-in-Trust, 2002-2004 and 2008 (wall paintings restoration in the tomb of Amenophis III);  Special Account for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Egypt: USD 931,674 for ‘Hassan Fathy New Gourna’, and USD 310,381 for ‘Memphis and Thebes Sites Management Support’; Euro 150,000 from the Government of France for Enhancing Capacities for the Protection of World Heritage Properties in Egypt (2020).

On 17 December 2020, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation, a summary of which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/87/documents/ and reports on progress in implementing Committee Decisions and current projects, as follows:

• The Supreme Committee for the Management of World Heritage Sites continues to develop and implement a strategic vision for management and protection of Egypt’s World Heritage properties;
• Responses to some of the recommendations of the 2017 joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission;
• Information about works undertaken at the Temple of the Apt, the Temple of Medinet Habu, the Ramesseum, and the Temple of Seti I;
• Information about improved access for the disabled at the temples of Karnak, and, archaeological excavations and restoration work at the Avenue of Sphinxes as well as other areas;
• Information regarding the lighting and security cameras, completion of the underground water project, and the contingency plan for flooding in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens;
• Work on the implementation of the Karnak plaza that began in 2006 as part of the comprehensive development plan for the city of Luxor.

In relation to the Management Plan for the property, the State Party advises that each component is managed in an appropriate yet separate way to preserve the attributes and Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), such as in the management of restoration plans, periodic maintenance, tourism, human resources management, community engagement, and other activities and components of the management plan. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities proposes to use studies and proposals prepared by the supervisors of the missions working on the sites, to prepare a unified site management plan.

A UNESCO Advisory mission to Egypt took place from 30 January to 4 February 2021. The mission considered several issues related to the conservation of World Heritage properties, including Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis. High level meetings, onsite consultations and a workshop with site managers and focal points were held, in addition to a short online workshop prior to the mission, to provide a detailed introduction to the World Heritage Convention and the Operational Guidelines for its implementation.

One of the tasks of the mission was to review the situation of the relocation of four ram-headed sphinxes from Karnak Temple to Tahrir Square in Cairo. In the view of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, this action has no impact on the OUV of the property. The subject sphinxes were not directly visible at the site owing to their location at the far end of the row of sphinxes, and also as they were covered with rubble remaining from the construction of the temple walls.

The State Party has undertaken a number of excavation and restoration works and has provided responses to some of the issues addressed by the Committee and to some of the recommendations of the 2017 mission. The report presents some technical information about this work, but still lacks detailed illustrated and graphical material, which is important for its assessment in terms of quality and scope. The Committee has previously urged the State Party to implement and report on the recommendations of the 2017 mission, and to expedite preparation of an integrated Management Plan, and the revision of the 2030 Masterplan to integrate the conservation of OUV across all projects, mitigate the adverse effects of tourism and consider an integrated development approach, in addition to the elaboration of a conservation plan setting out priorities and needs. More information is needed on the lighting and security camera project, the (completed) underground water project, and the Flood Emergency Plan. The 2021 mission was informed by the site management team that work is ongoing for the lighting and security projects as well as the integrated Management Plan and the 2030 Masterplan revision. Furthermore, the mission observed that an overall project to improve interpretation and enhance some visitor services was ongoing. It is crucial that the State Party implements the recommendations of the 2017 and 2021 missions. The site management and national authorities should inform the World Heritage Centre if any technical support for the monitoring of the climatic conditions for the tombs in the Valley of the Kings is required.

The State Party had not provided information to the World Heritage Centre regarding the intention to move the four sphinxes located within the property, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, and its state of conservation report does not include detailed information on the transfer or the restoration work, although it included information on the conservation of other sphinxes. The 2021 mission was advised that such relocations take place regularly, in accordance with Egyptian antiquities protection law. The mission noted that other statues and sphinxes are nearby in the garden of the Egyptian Museum, and that the sphinxes had been previously moved in the Pharaonic Era and during the 1970s. A preliminary report on the conservation of the sphinxes was provided to the mission.

As noted by the 2021 mission, the most critical issue is the continued conservation and physical protection of the sphinxes, and the mission was able to see the major ongoing conservation project. Humidity, pollution, vibration and vandalism, may pose a concern to their state of conservation, and close monitoring is needed. Detailed scans could provide a necessary baseline against which any future delamination, decay or granular disaggregation can be measured accurately. It is recommended that dialogue is continued with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies on the approach to the monitoring and conservation of the relocated sphinxes, as well as the overall approach to the conservation work undertaken at the property. The mission recommended that an evaluation of the conservation of the four sphinxes should be undertaken after six months. It is welcome that a project for the rehabilitation of the five main public buildings built by the architect Hassan Fathi has been initiated by the UNESCO Office in Cairo. The State Party’s intention to consider a unit whose tasks will be focused on preparing Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) is also welcome and, it is recommended that such initiatives build upon the 2019 and 2021 HIA workshops and the forthcoming detailed technical discussions to be addressed in the framework of the capacity building initiative that the World Heritage Centre will implement with support from France in 2021.

In light of the above, and the outcomes of the 2021 mission, it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission, to evaluate the property’s state of conservation, assess implementation of the recommendations from the 2017 and 2021 missions, review ongoing and planned projects, and assess how they may affect the property’s OUV.