Latest news with #Antiquities
Iraqi News
3 days ago
- Business
- Iraqi News
Culture Minister announces price reductions to support tourism
Baghdad-INA Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities Ahmed Fakak al-Badrani announced on Saturday that the ministry has provided numerous facilities to support tourism in Iraq, including reduced transportation, hotel, and restaurant fares, he also noted that tourism has witnessed a significant boom during the current government's tenure. Al-Badrani told the Iraqi News Agency (INA), "The Ministry of Culture has a large and busy program under the patronage of the Prime Minister, and activities are ongoing to improve the reality of tourism, restore many antiquities, open many tourist cities, and open hotels in cooperation with Iraqi Airways in order to give applicants an opportunity by reducing travel fees and agreeing with the hotels affiliated with the ministry to reduce hotel and restaurant fees as factors to attract tourism." He pointed out that "tourism has witnessed a significant renaissance during the current government's term, and our ambition is even greater for tourism to become a permanent and sustainable resource that provides significant sums to the Iraqi budget, given the presence of a large and diverse tourism attraction." He added, "Iraq attracts Arab, Western, and European tourists for archaeological, recreational, and therapeutic tourism, such as the sulfur springs in Anbar, Mosul, and Karbala, as well as religious tourism in cities such as Karbala, Najaf, Baghdad, and Mosul,also in Basra are Rabia al-Adawiya, al-Hasan al-Basri, and Ibn Sirin, and in Baghdad are al-Kadhimiya, al-Nu'man, al-Junayd al-Baghdadi, and al-Saqti, as well as many other religious heritage sites. These tourism factors have prompted the government of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to devote great attention to these sites in order to attract tourists." Al-Fakak confirmed, "We have provided many facilities to attract Arab and foreign tourists, and soon Iraqi Airways will announce a reduction in fares, now that the Arab Summit has concluded successfully, hotels will reduce prices, and many restaurants will also offer promotions, serving Baghdadi, Mosuli, Basrai and other dishes to Arab and European tourists."
Zawya
28-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Egypt expands holiday home model and investment opportunities to meet tourism demand
Egypt is expanding its tourism accommodation options with new regulations for holiday homes, aiming to ease the current shortage of hotel rooms amid rising visitor numbers, the country's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy said. Speaking at a press conference at ATM 2025 in Dubai on Monday, he said Egypt's tourism sector recorded 15.78 million visitors in 2024, a 6 percent year-on-year increase, and a record-breaking 21 percent increase over pre-pandemic levels. He pointed out that while the initial forecast for 2025 targeted a 6 percent rise [to 16.8 million tourists], international tourist arrivals rose by a whopping 25 percent in the first quarter itself compared to last year. 'We are happy with the developments, but we are extremely challenged by the lack of rooms to accommodate the demand…that's why we're encouraging all types of investments in rooms and hotels,' he said. Fathy said the newly approved set of minimum standards for holiday homes is modeled on the Airbnb business approach. The move is expected to benefit regions such as the New Valley and Aswan, where many properties have traditionally operated informally without license from the tourism ministry. 'We are excited to see that the demand for registration with the ministry is increasing every day,' he said. Additionally, the ministry has waived all charges related to converting the license of a property from any business to touristic business, offering an incentive for investment in both holiday homes and hotels. Noting that Egypt's tourism vision for 2031 targets 30 million annual visitors, Fathy said achieving this goal will require doubling the number of hotel rooms. 'If the supply of rooms grows ahead of schedule, the tourism target could be met earlier,' he said. In February 2025, Zawya Projects had reported that Egypt is expected to add 5,891 hotel rooms in 2025, the fourth largest contributor in Middle East and Africa region after Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar respectively. Holiday homes are expected to cover 75 percent of the current shortfall of 200,000 hotel rooms in Egypt, according to tourism marketing expert and CEO of Digital Experts Alaa Khalifa. Investment opportunities bank Fathy also disclosed that the Ministry is also working on creating a centralised 'investment opportunities bank' for the tourism sector. Under this plan, all land plots suitable for tourism projects — currently managed by four different entities — would be marketed through a unified platform. The initiative aims to simplify the investment process for developers and attract capital into expanding Egypt's accommodation capacity. "If we succeed, I think it's going to be a breakthrough," he said. He also disclosed that the Ministry plans to revise its full-year forecast after the second quarter of 2025 to reflect the 25 percent rise in international visitor numbers in the first quarter. The increase was supported by traditional source markets as well as rising arrivals from China, Turkey, Spain, Russia, and India. Saudi Arabia remained a key market, sending approximately two million visitors and ranking among the top five contributors. Fathy said air connectivity remains a priority, with increased flights needed particularly from Asian markets and Egypt's open skies policies continue to support efforts to expand visitor numbers. 'Whoever wants to fly to touristic destinations barring Cairo is most welcome and will not be stopped for any reason,' he said. This year, the government has raised incentives for airlines to operate to Luxor and Aswan during the off-peak season to steer traffic. He said daily tourist spending remains at approximately $94–$95, although hotel room rates have increased by around 30 percent since the beginning of the year. 'We're going to review it, but for the time being, we're talking about the same number,' the Minister said, noting that higher-spending visitors largely come from the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, as well as the United States, and China. Opening of Grand Egyptian Museum Separately, Fathy reconfirmed that the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza is preparing for its full opening on 3 July this year. GEM, which currently has less than 50 percent of its galleries open to visitors, will close between June 15 and July 15 for the opening ceremony. 'Visitor numbers to the GEM currently range from 5,000 to 7,000 per day, even with the museum partially open,' noted the Minister, adding that he expects an increase in both visitor numbers and their length of stay once the museum is fully operational. In addition to galleries, the GEM houses a Research and Development Centre and the relocated Khufu Boat Museum. Fathy said the goal for the GEM, alongside the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, is to play a leading role in global Egyptology, with plans to host two major conferences each year focused on Egyptology, archaeology, and Egyptian history. (Writing by Anoop Menon; Editing by SA Kader) (
MTV Lebanon
25-04-2025
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
Culture Minister meets Dutch delegation, urges Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories
Minister of Culture Ghassan Salamé on Friday received Dutch Ambassador to Lebanon Frank Mollen at the National Museum, accompanied by the Director General of Antiquities, Engineer Sarkis Khoury, and a visiting Dutch diplomatic and parliamentary delegation currently in Lebanon to assess various local developments. The meeting focused on the security situation, particularly in South Lebanon. Minister Salamé briefed the delegation on daily violations and ceasefire breaches by Israeli forces, including the continued occupation of five strategic points. He emphasized 'the urgent need for international cooperation to exert pressure on Israel to vacate these occupied sites,' stressing that 'the Lebanese Army is exerting maximum effort to extend its authority across all Lebanese territory, especially in the south, in accordance with the government's approved plan, and is doing so with discipline and professionalism.' Prior to the meeting, the delegation toured the National Museum, where North Mount Lebanon site officer Tania Zaven provided an in-depth explanation of the museum's treasures, including Phoenician-era artifacts such as ceramics, jewelry, ivory, statues, and anthropoid marble sarcophagi dating back to the 4th century BC. The tour also featured votive statues from the Temple of Eshmun discovered in Bustan Al-Sheikh, also from the 4th century BC, among other historical pieces.
Egypt Today
18-04-2025
- General
- Egypt Today
Ancient secrets revealed: Egypt discovers Prince Waserif Re's tomb, King Djoser's statue in Saqqara
CAIRO - 18 April 2025: A joint Egyptian mission has discovered the tomb of Prince Waserif Re, son of King Userkaf, the founder of the ancient Egypt's fifth dynasty, in the Saqqara archaeological area, southwest of Giza. Renowned archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass noted that the mission discovered statues of King Djoser, along with his wife and ten daughters, according to a statement by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Friday. Preliminary studies indicate that these statues were originally located in a chamber adjacent to the Step Pyramid of King Djoser and were later relocated to the tomb of Prince Waserif Re during the Late Period. The mission will continue its work to uncover the reasons behind this transfer. The mission, comprising the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Dr. Zahi Hawass Foundation for Antiquities and Heritage, has also unveiled numerous prominent artifacts from both the Old Kingdom and later periods. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, highlighted that this is the first time a false door made of pink granite of such size—measuring 4.5 meters in height and 1.15 meters in width—has been found. The door is adorned with hieroglyphic inscriptions detailing the prince's name and titles, including "heir prince." Additionally, the team discovered a red granite offering table with a diameter of 92.5 cm, inscribed with lists of offerings. Within one chamber of the tomb, a massive black granite statue, standing at 1.17 meters tall, was uncovered. This statue bears hieroglyphic inscriptions revealing the name and titles of its owner, which appears to date back to the 26th Dynasty, suggesting the tomb may have been reused during the Late Period. In front of the eastern facade, another entrance to the tomb was found along with a cartouche of King Neferirkare. Notably, to the north of the lintel, the team uncovered a unique find in Saqqara: a collection of 13 seated statues made of pink granite on a high-backed bench. The mission also found heads of statues positioned higher than the others, representing the wives of the tomb owner seated in the center, with two headless statues flanking them. In front of these statues, another black granite statue was discovered, lying face down, about 1.35 meters tall. The excavation team will continue its efforts to reveal more elements of this unique tomb, marking a significant addition to the archaeological treasures of the area.
Nahar Net
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Nahar Net
U.S. Embassy celebrates year-long exhibit of Lebanese artworks
by Naharnet Newsdesk 17 April 2025, 11:29 U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson has hosted a reception to celebrate the 'A Thread of Hope' exhibit featuring 68 works of art by Lebanese artists at the U.S. Embassy. Johnson expressed gratitude to the more than 70 artists who generously have partnered with the U.S. Embassy since 2022 on Art Loan Projects. Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh attended the event Tuesday, as well as Director General of Antiquities Sarkis Khoury. Numerous artists, galleries, and art world patrons were also present. The U.S. Embassy Public Diplomacy Section launched the 'Art Loan Project' in 2022 with artist Raouf Rifai who was featured in the Embassy's 'Meet the Artist' series. In 2024, the U.S. Embassy collaborated with the Lebanese art world to present a year-long exhibit of the work of 16 talented artists under the theme 'A Thread of Hope.' The exhibit explored various artistic expressions of hope within Lebanese society. In her speech at the reception, Johnson noted that she has 'proudly shown hundreds of visitors to the U.S. Ambassador's residence this exhibit.' She added, 'throughout the conflict, your artworks have done something extraordinary. They have inspired us, offering reminding us of our shared aspirations for a brighter, better future.'
