Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur

• Deterioration of the monuments (issue resolved)
• Development and Urban Infrastructure projects (including Ring Road project and the Pyramids Security Project)
• Growing number of visitors (issue resolved)
• Housing
• Interpretative and visitation facilities
• Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure: Infrastructure and tourism developments
• Management System/Management Plan: Absence of a single integrated Plan of Management for the property
• Uncontrolled development of the nearby village (issue resolved)
• Underground transport infrastructure: Tunnel construction project
• Urban encroachment

Total amount provided to the property: USD 100,000 for the Sphinx of Giza; Special Account for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of Egypt; USD 310,381 for ‘Memphis and Thebes Sites Management Support’; USD 45,871 from the Netherlands Funds in Trust for strengthening national capacities for the implementation of World Heritage impact assessments; EUR 150,000 from the Government of France for Enhancing Capacities for the Protection of World Heritage Properties in Egypt (2020).

On 17 December 2020, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, a summary of which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/86/documents/ and presents progress with conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions, as follows:

• The Supreme Committee for the Management of World Heritage Sites continues to develop and implement a strategic vision for management and protection of Egypt’s World Heritage properties;
• Significant progress has been made with opening archaeological sites to the public and establishing new museums;
• A central database has been established for artefacts and the first phase of the ‘’Antiquities of Egypt’ website is complete;
• Many new archaeological discoveries have been made, including highly significant finds at Saqqara;
• Regular maintenance and conservation work has been undertaken at the property;
• Implementation of the proposed Cairo Ring Road tunnel through the Giza plateau has been postponed owing to perceived dangers of using a tunnel, and pending further studies;
• The Pyramids Plateau Rehabilitation Project, which aims to preserve archaeological and cultural heritage and improve visitor experience is complete and a report is provided as an annex;
• Works for the proposed Pyramids Security Project, which aims to protect the site, its collections and visitors, are to be outside the site itself;
• The possibility of using international expertise to examine the property boundaries and to prepare a report on alternatives for the Ring Road project is under consideration, as is a new unit focused on preparing Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) following training courses organized in coordination with UNESCO;
• The State Party welcomed a high-level Advisory mission and would be pleased to welcome a joint UNESCO/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission.

A UNESCO Advisory mission to Egypt took place from 30 January to 4 February 2021. The mission considered several issues related to the conservation of World Heritage properties, including Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur. High level meetings, onsite consultations and a workshop with site managers and focal points were held, in addition to a short online workshop prior to the mission to provide a detailed introduction to the 1972 World Heritage Convention and its Operational Guidelines.

The mission report (see https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/86/documents/) makes specific findings and offers recommendations regarding the proposed Ring Road connection, the Pyramids Security Project, the Giza Pyramids Plateau Development project, visitor management, boundary adjustments, including possible reduction of the current boundaries of the property, defining buffer zones, and proposed further capacity building initiatives.

The State Party continues to make progress in relation to capacity building and compliance with the requirements and processes of the World Heritage Convention and Operational Guidelines, with assistance from the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre. The 2021 UNESCO Advisory mission identified a number of significant issues, and the State Party should implement the mission recommendations, including the need for a unified and comprehensive Management Plan for the whole property. The improved state of conservation of Saqqara and the continued archaeological research, excavations and discoveries, which underscore the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, and the comprehensive work undertaken by the Egyptian authorities to open new museums, should be acknowledged.

The 2021 mission noted that works for the Ring Road as an open road appeared to be progressing and recalled that the necessary documentation, with the related HIA, has not been submitted to the World Heritage Centre. In addition, the construction of another road in the Saqqara area appears to be underway. The World Heritage Centre has requested detailed information from the State Party.

The State Party advice that a tunnel is considered to have security issues for users is noted, but strong concern remains at the potential impact of any open tunnel or the Ring Road itself. The State Party should be encouraged to review the reasons and necessity for the road projects, and to complete necessary studies so that alternatives can be fully considered. The project should not move forward before a full review of technical reports and engineering designs to be submitted for review by the Advisory Bodies, and before being subject to a comprehensive HIA, prepared in accordance with the 2011 ICOMOS Guidance on HIAs for Cultural World Heritage Properties. 

The completion of the Giza Pyramids Plateau Development Project without referral to the World Heritage Centre in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, and prior to consideration of the potential buffer zone for the Giza component of the property, is regretted. Nevertheless, the outcome of this initiative may improve protection of the property and visitor experiences. The 2021 mission noted that through initiatives such as electric buses, environmental considerations have also been addressed. The previously expressed concerns about the Pyramids Security Project remain and it is again recommended that the World Heritage Committee request the State Party to submit more comprehensive information on the proposed project, even though the works will be outside the property.

Consultation should be undertaken with the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS regarding any proposed modification of boundaries, for both the property and the buffer zone. A Minor Boundary Modification may be necessary for the Giza component of the property, to provide protection from increasing urban pressures in Cairo, in line with Paragraphs 163-164 of the Operational Guidelines. This matter might be addressed during the foreshadowed Reactive Monitoring mission, or through a separate process. The determination of any boundary revision of the property or the buffer zone should also have regard to the Retrospective Statement of OUV and should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review, as previously requested by the Committee.

The State Party’s intention to consider a unit whose tasks will be focused on preparing HIAs is welcome, and it is recommended that such initiatives build upon the 2019 and 2021 HIA workshops and the forthcoming detailed technical discussions to be addressed in the framework of the capacity building initiative that the World Heritage Centre is implementing with support from the Netherland Funds in Trust project and the Government of France.

In light of the above, and the outcomes of the 2021 mission, it is recommended that the Committee welcome the State Party’s invitation for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to evaluate the property’s state of conservation, review the ongoing and planned projects, particularly the Cairo Ring Road project, and assess how they may affect the property’s OUV. It is further recommended that the State Party should provide the detailed HIA for each project to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies prior to the mission and that the State Party should expedite this mission as a matter of urgency.