Egypt to re-open its historical sites on Sunday

Cairo, Feb 18 (ANI): Egypt is to re-open its historical sites on Sunday in a bid to revive its tourism industry after being affected by the political turmoil that ousted President Hosni Mubarak.

The Huffington Post quoted Dr. Zahi Hawass, Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, as saying in a statement that "all of the Pharaonic, Coptic, Islamic, and modern sites will reopen to the public" on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the antiquities ministry has claimed that a 16-year-old anti-government protester has handed over a rare statue of King Tut's father, the most important artifact stolen from Cairo's Egyptian Museum, after recovering it next to a garbage bin.

The ministry officials, however, have reported new cases of robbery at archaeological sites, adding: "There have also been many reports of attacks on archaeological lands through the building of houses and illegal digging."

Zahi Hawass, head of the Ministry of State for Antiquities, has reported that a total of 18 missing museum artifacts, three of which were found on the museum grounds, possibly abandoned by looters while trying to escape, the paper said.

The ministry also said the Egyptian military has caught thieves trying to loot the sites of Tell el-Basta, and a tomb in Lischt. (ANI)