The Replica Valley of the Kings - King Tut Gets Another Tomb

When I read about this I couldn't help being reminded of news reports early last year with Dr Hawass describing moves to clamp down on replicas being built in other parts of the world. 

I see that the Al-Ahram story states that this will not only apply to the Valley of the Kings and Queens but that tombs at Saqqara and Giza are also on the list.  I suppose this overturns Dr Hawass' desire to see every pyramid opened to tourists by the end of this year as he had stated in an earlier press release last year.

It does take the shine off a visit to Egypt but I can see it is in the best interest of preserving what important archaeological sites remain.  I remember being dissappointed seeing hundreds of people traipsing through the tombs with little or no interest in them, just so they could tick it off their list.

I recall one visitor in particular on my first visit to the Great pyramid.  While I was in awe, finally standing inside the burial chamber of Khufu's pyramid, in came this rather large, apparently wealthy tourist. Having squeezed his way through the tight confines of the long ascending passage and climbing all the way up to the top of the Grand Galllery, exhausted and sweating but still clutching a cigar in his gold encrusted fingers he entered the Kings Chamber.  Taking one look at the bare walls, with obvious dissappointment, huffed: "It wasn't like this in the brochures", then turned around and began his decent.

With such little interest in the real thing I wonder how many tourists would consider traveling to Egypt to visit a replica?

I believe Egypt still has more to offer than just the tombs! I must admit I've never been to Luxor, but spend two weeks in Cairo and Alexandria, where we had the luck to in both cities have a 'local' tourguide. (Or at least someone who lived there for already a year and spoke Arabic.) Just in Alexandria, there was all the local markets, tons of new food to try out (yet, never try pizza! My stomach still turns around), the musea, all the different building styles and the combination of both oriental and western influences. I'd return any time! (If someone funds the journey.)

So unless they - as you say - just want to stripe 'King Tut's tomb' or 'inside Giza pyramid' of their list, they will still have enough reasons to go to Egypt. (If only be it swimming pool at 5 star hotel.) For the ones that go 'It wasn't like in the brochures', maybe the world should work together on education those persons a bit more before they travel? ;)

(But that will always be the case. I'm not very religious, but extremely noise tourists in the European cathedrals, that don't seem to appreciate the hundreds of years of craftmanship and treasures gathered in those churches, annoy me into extremes as well.)

There are also folks like me who might only be able to afford a trip to Egypt once in their life and could appreciate the experience. But would I spend the money for a 'once in a lifetime' chance to visit a fake tomb?  Nope.  And yes, I realise Egypt has more to offer than tombs but they are my main interest..I really couldn't care less about a swimming pool.  And Hawass gets more obnoxious every time his fat face shows up somewhere.  This is the guy that wants to "copyright" the pyramids.  Funny as I have him on video saying, "The monuments do not belong to  Egyptians alone; they belong to the world.  We as Egyptians are guardians."  Yeah right.  "Crack down on tomb replicas in other counrties"??  Seriously?  Screw that.  The man seems a meglomaniac.  "Whoever wants to visit the original tombs of Tutankhamun, Seti I and Nefertari must pay a huge amount of money," he says?  OR we could just NOT GO and he can choke on the revenue loss.  I wonder too if these replicas would be complete?  KV17 for example...will they bother to replicate the two chambers that are not decorated?  That 4 pillared hall behind the burial chamber (room Jc) isn't decorated and is NEVER photographed but I still am dying to see it.  I'd love to one day be able to stand in the tunnel under the burial chamber and touch one of the steps...but I don't think it would mean much doing it in a replica.  Being an American, I am saddly all too familiar with that which is fake, replicated, unoriginal and so to me, experiencing the real and original means a lot.  A replica is not worth the trip, time, and money as it would be a hollow experience.  But that's probably just me =)

Let me see if I get this right? You love the original tombs so much, that you do not care the thousands of visitors yearly damage them? You rather get the chance to see the genuine tombs now and not having them available for research by future generations - who knows how much science will still advance - than to visit a replica, knowing that by doing this you keep the original tombs intact. Those tombs have survived for thousands of years, who are we to decide to destroy them in a few hundred?

Imho, if you truly care about the originals, you'd like to see them preserved.

The French authorities have done a good job providing a visitor centre with replicas of the Lascaux artwork. It still attracts tourists, despite access to the actual caves now being closed. Part of their success is due to how well they communicate - mostly by way of their website - the reasons for the closure and replica.

Check your vision; NO, you don't have it right.  Perhaps you missed the ALL CAPS part where I said, I could just NOT GO.  And if you look at anoother post I have on here, I do, in fact say, that the whole Valley should be closed to tourists (for one thing, it's still an active archeological site).  If feel no obligation to go where they tell me.  I have the option to NOT GO as do all...wich I would rather do than fly around the world to see fake tombs.   You seem to think we're all obligated to fork over money, time, and hassle and settle for whatever they tell us to see and do.  So maybe read a little more carefully and tone down the self righteous attitude.  And to sum up, in case the point gets missed again, the entire Valley should be closed to tourists and I have the right to not go.  You presumed soooooo much in your righteous indignation.  Have a lovely day.

PS:  a thousand pardons for the typos.

Heritage sites, first and foremost are for the indeginious commmunity therefore should not be closed down but instead should be well presented  to tourist both foreign and local. Heritage sites could  be closed down just for a short period of time to carry out some maintenance work but should not be permanently closed.

There is nothing wrong in having a replica of  the Tomb of Tutankamun, but we should understand that what makes a heritage site unique is it's originality.

It will be very dissapointing to travel all the way to Egypt or any other country just to visit a replica site. I was opportuned to travel to mombasa, Kenya and i visited some heritage sites like Fort Jesus, i really appreciated the monument because it was original.