(3 minutes read)
- U.S. Ambassador Jonathan R. Cohen visited Esna on Sunday, (August 29), with Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Dr. Khaled El Enany and Luxor Governor Mostafa Alham to inaugurate the recently renovated Wakalet el-Geddawy, a caravansery built in 1792 to store trade goods and lodge traveling merchants.
- Both have affirmed the strong U.S.-Egypt partnership in cultural heritage preservation
- The U.S. government is investing US$8.6 million to revitalize cultural tourism in Esna
U.S. Ambassador Jonathan R. Cohen visited Esna on Sunday, (August 29), with Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Dr. Khaled El Enany and Luxor Governor Mostafa Alham to inaugurate the recently renovated Wakalet el-Geddawy, a caravansery built in 1792 to store trade goods and lodge traveling merchants. Both have affirmed the strong U.S.-Egypt partnership in cultural heritage preservation.
The U.S. government is investing US$8.6 million to revitalize cultural tourism in Esna, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Ministry of International Cooperation, Luxor Governorate, and local partners including Takween Integrated Community Development. The funds are routed through US AID.
Over the past 25 years, the United States has contributed more than US$102 million to preserve dozens of cultural heritage sites throughout Egypt. The US Ambassador exuded optimism that the tourism industry would rebound in Esna and across the country.
The United States is working with the Egyptian Government and local organizations to revitalize the town’s tourism potential, balancing heritage conservation, tourism promotion, and community development. This support creates jobs, revives tourism, increases public and private investments, and restores historically significant places, such as Esna’s traditional oil press and Al-Qisariya Market. Since 1978, the US through its corporations has invested over US $30 billion to support Egypt’s economic development.
