Rosetta's historical treasures in sorry state
Egypt, Local, 3/15/2003

All over the world, monuments are a national treasure which governments and the public are keen to preserve. But in Egypt, the situation is somewhat different.

Although there is a marked interest on official level to restore and upgrade archaeological sites, neglect is still a major factor jeopardising archaeological heritage.

For instance, the monuments in Rosetta on the Delta, are under threat of rising levels of underground water. Some of the town's mosques are suffering from severe damp.

The sight of piles of refuse detracts from the cultural and historic values of the town. The Zagloul Mosque is a tragic example of neglect. Part of the mosque collapsed some years ago and until now nobody has taken the initiative to rebuild it.

The result is that the site is now a refuge for stray animals. Criminals have been known to use the abandoned place of worship as a hideout.

The floors of the mosque are awash with underground water. The UNESCO plan to rescue the remainder of the mosque is said to be a failure.

The antiquities sector had to close down the mosque because the rising damp has eaten away at the walls which are on the verge of collapse.

As if to add insult to injury, the residents of Rosetta say that the local council has used part of the mosque precincts for a bakery and antiquities officials have raised no objection.

Rosetta is like an open museum where most of the villas are more than 200 years old. The people of Rosetta are distressed by the neglect of the street known as Dehliz Al Malek (The King's Corridor), which is lined by several old mansions.

The Ottoman style mansion of Mekki, which dates from 1803, is being used as a carpet shop, while the Asfour mansion is a fish store.

The house of Amassili, once the residence of the captain of the guard, Osman Agha in the l9th century, had all but collapsed only to be restored in a way that ruins the original architecture.

The lower part of the mansion now is archaeological while the upper storey is completely modern.

Mahmud Al Dib, member of the tourism committee in Beheira Municipality, said that Rosetta is one of the richest Delta towns in archaeological and tourist potential, but the deteriorating standards of hygiene and shortage of funds are enormous obstacles to any kind of restoration work.

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