Visiting the Giza Plateau, one of the most important tourist destinations in the world, will be unforgettable thanks to the development project with its new services which will see the light after a few months.
Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Secretary General Mostafa Waziry told The Egyptian Gazette that the Giza Plateau development project will be inaugurated coinciding with the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the world’s biggest museum of Egyptology.
The Giza Plateau development project started in 2007. However, it was stopped in 2011 because of the political and security unrest that accompanied the popular uprising against longstanding president Hosni Mubarak. The project resumed in 2017.
It is implemented by the SCA in cooperation with the Armed Forces Engineering Authority. The authority implemented the infrastructure of the pyramids area, developed its lighting and electronic security system, and relocated its entrance to Fayoum Road, from the vicinity of the historical Marriott Mena House.
In 2018, the SCA signed a contract with Orascom Pyramids Entertainment, an Egyptian joint-stock company, a subsidiary of Orascom Investment Holding, to provide and operate facilities at the Giza Plateau under the supervision of the SCA.
On entering from the main gate on the Cairo-Fayoum Road, visitors see nothing except desert. On their way by car or bus the tops of the pyramids will appear gradually, adding excitement and suspense to what you will see inside.
The parking lot can accommodate up to over 1,000 passenger cars and 100 tourist buses.
The visit starts at the Visitor Centre, where there are many ticket windows, one for the disabled. Tickets can be purchased by credit or online.
After taking the ticket, the visitor will see a model of the pyramids and tombs as appetisers of what they will see in the area.
The centre also has a hall where they can watch a five-minute documentary on the history of the area.
Visitors then leave the centre from another gate to board environmentally-friendly buses to take them to stops named Panorama One, Menkaure, Khufu and Khafre, Sphinx and the Riding Zone.
At the riding zone, visitors can hire a horse or camel and be taken on a tour of the area, after which they might enjoy a beverage and a snack. The animals are well looked after and a veterinary surgeon is always on hand.
“The people who rent out animals are important to the area. They have their own customers who want to take photos with them astride camels and horses. So it is necessary to think of them and provide them a suitable place for their services,” Waziry said.
Amr Gazarin, Executive Chairman of Orascom Pyramids Entertainment, told The Gazette that Orascom has a totally new philosophy for visiting the Pyramids area.
“The hop-on hop-off tour buses have access to Wifi and audio guide. The buses have solved many problems that we faced before, such as exhaust fumes, which are harmful to the limestone of the pyramids and also engine noise,” he said, adding that transport inside the area will be only by Orascom buses.
“Each station is provided with restaurants, restrooms, first aid medical centre and other services in addition to bazaars and shops. Shaded seats and benches have been installed as well,” Gazarin said.
“There are special areas designed for handicapped,” he added.
“Visitors can move freely without any harassment,” he said. All the past negatives and bad reputation will end,” he added.
Gazarin said 2.5 million people visit the Giza Plateau every year. They hope to double that number.
Ashraf Mohie, Director General of Giza Plateau, told The Gazette that an international restaurant complex, The King Khufu Centre, consisting of ten tourist restaurants is included in the development project.
“It was previously a limestone-made engineering building established in the 1960s and has been used as a scrap storage facility,” he said.
In 2020, the first tourist restaurant in the Panorama area of the Giza Plateau was opened.
“The Nine Pyramids Lounge was designed with a light wooden structure. It overlooks nine pyramids; the known three plus three of Khufu’s wives and three of Menkaure’s wives.”
He added that it has a large tented lounge with cushions on the floor in Bedouin style.
Mohie pointed out that what will add more excitement to the visit is the three-kilometre tourist walk, which connects the GEM and the Pyramids.
“Visitors can spend a day tour in the area by visiting the pyramids and walking on foot or riding a gold car to the GEM.”
He added that the Plateau area will be fully monitored by infrared cameras to ensure more security to this important tourist site, home to the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
