Egypt Daily News – Egypt’s Minister of Culture, Dr. Ahmed Heno, announced that the ministry will take firm legal action against anyone found to be involved in illegal excavations beneath the Children’s Cultural Palace in Luxor. The announcement followed his urgent visit to the site after receiving confirmed reports from the Governor of Luxor regarding ground subsidence in the area surrounding the ongoing restoration project at the palace.
Upon arriving at the site, Dr. Heno discovered a network of tunnels and corridors extending beneath several nearby homes, suggesting unauthorized digging activities by individuals involved in the restoration project. These findings pointed to illegal archaeological excavation attempts, carried out in secret and without oversight.
As a result, the minister referred several officials for immediate investigation. These include the former head of the South Upper Egypt Cultural Region, the current general director of the region, the director of the Luxor branch, and several engineering, technical, and maintenance personnel. Also under investigation are the directors of the Luxor Cultural Palace, the Children’s Cultural Palace, and the head of security at the Luxor branch.
According to Dr. Heno, the excavation was carried out by the company responsible for the palace restoration within one of the rooms of an apartment linked to the cultural complex. He emphasized that the activity took place in the complete absence of supervision from local cultural authorities affiliated with the General Authority for Cultural Palaces.
The incident is now under formal investigation by the Public Prosecution in Luxor. Dr. Heno condemned the act as a waste of public funds and a direct affront to the national effort to enhance cultural infrastructure. He reiterated the ministry’s commitment to accountability and transparency, emphasizing that any form of negligence or misconduct will be addressed with full legal consequences.
In a related development, Counselor Abdel Rady Siddiq, head of the Administrative Prosecution Authority, has ordered an urgent investigation into the incident. He instructed investigators to begin proceedings immediately, identify the responsible parties, and submit a full report on the violations once the inquiry is complete.
The Ministry of Culture affirmed its continued commitment to on-site supervision of all cultural projects, aiming to protect public resources and safeguard Egypt’s cultural heritage for future generations, in coordination with judicial and security authorities.
