Excavating the ancient city of Egypt's Heliopolis is not your stereotypical dig. At one archaeological site, workers had to remove trash that had been 13-metres deep before they could start on the dirt. For the archaeologists and antiquities officials, the most pressing challenges are modern, not ancient.
The site is in the north Cairo neighbourhood of Matareya, one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Each square kilometre of populated space in the district holds an average of 156,712 people.
“It has its own tasks and risks. Working there is much different than other sites,” says Dr Ayman Ashmawy, head of the ancient Egyptian sector at the ministry of antiquities. “They are so friendly, but also to work inside doesn't give you a lot of privacy and ability to work freely. It’s a special case, Matareya.”
Dr Ashmawy, along with Dr Dietrich Raue of the University of Leipzig, is the co-director of the Egyptian-German expedition. In March, between half-vacant apartment buildings reachable only by unpaved roads, the expedition unearthed a nearly eight-metre-high statue — possibly of Psamtik I who ruled Egypt from 664-610 BC. The team has since found three toes belonging to the statue.
The water table in the area has risen more than one metre since Dr Ashmawy started working on the site, he says. Self-built housing could be to blame, workers on the site said at the time, but also the water table in the areas north of Cairo has risen due to increasing sea levels.
Nearby, on a road leading to the site, Eid Megahed has had his appliance repair shop for 13 years. His family moved here 30 years ago, when it was mostly fields. He remembers Matareya when it was so full of antiquities that it was common for peddlers to wheel around carts with a couple dozen scavenged artefacts for sale.
The ancient city of Heliopolis had immense religious importance for some Egyptians. Egyptian mythology says that on this site the world was created and it is much larger than Karnak, one of Egypt’s most famous tourist attractions. The proximity of Heliopolis to Persian, and then Arab, settlements made it an easy source of quarried stone for their own building projects.
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Read more: Egypt digs up two statues dating back 3,000 years
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Now, most antiquities are small amulets or shards of stone or pottery. For historians, the material can hold much insight into ancient Egypt, but for general contractors, the artefacts may disappear into spill as they dig foundations.
This is why before any building can commence, contractors need to fill out a lot of paperwork to ensure they do not leave anything of historical value under apartment blocks or shopping malls. To do that, they need the signature of Matareya district's head of antiquities, Khaled Abou-Elalla, the man who stands between the growth of the city and the trove of antiquities underneath it.
“The next generation, all they’ll see is the history that we are writing now,” says Mr Abou-Elalla, whose office is near Matareya’s obelisk, where the city is hustling and bustling and the noise of traffic and construction is hard to ignore. “They’ll see this neighbourhood just as buildings and homes, they won’t see the antiquities.”
Areas without antiquities can get the ministry’s approval in about two months, he says. However, if there is an archaeological find, the process can take up to two or three years. Usually, he says, there is pressure from contractors or government entities to rush through the permits to encourage development — unless there is a government project under way already.
While Matareya is not a stereotypical location to dig, people living near or on archaeological sites is not unusual. In fact, it is a defining characteristic of Egyptology, as the areas suitable for habitation today are largely the same as those in ancient Egypt.
"A lot of the sites that we think of as uninhabited, some of them were sites of fairly dense human living," says Elliot Colla, associate professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University and author of Conflicted Antiquities: Egyptology, Egyptomania, Egyptian Modernity. "The word I would use is entanglement: entanglement between artefacts from the Pharaonic era and people who live in modern Egypt. They occupy the same land.
“In a place like Egypt, which is densely populated, that there’s a conflict. There’s the people who live there now, versus an archaeologist who has a legitimate interest in knowing about the artefacts of the past.”
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Read more: Land of treasures
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Omnia Khalil, an urban anthropologist, says that it is important to balance the need for housing with preserving the past.
“There is confusion between having monuments and the living,” she says. “Why do we want to preserve the dead and kick people out without making any mediation or having some kind of solution? It’s a dilemma everywhere.”
Another issue lies in a lack of local interest in antiquities. Mr Abou-Elalla says there is no popular consciousness on the importance of antiquities beyond the immediate economic value that they create.
It is hard to imagine that much economic growth will be generated by these artefacts in Matareya itself. The statue that was exhumed in March was moved to the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square but is due to eventually be relocated 30km away to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which has yet to open.
Mr Abou-Elalla says there needs to be more public education on the artefacts. Matareya residents though will probably not see any of their neighbourhood's treasures in the exhibit unless they decide to make the hour-long trip to the new museum.
“To create the museum object, it has to be beyond monetary value, it has to have historical, artistic, or civilisation value and that can’t be reflected in money,” said Mr Colla. “When the object is in mud in a popular neighbourhood in metropolitan Cairo, that’s not a sacred object yet.
"In order to get from there to the museum, all its ties to modern Matareya need to be severed and decontextualised.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.
As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.
Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.
Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.
Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
Company%20profile%20
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Spider-Man%202
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Insomniac%20Games%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%20Sony%20Interactive%20Entertainment%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPlayStation%205%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
BMW%20M4%20Competition
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
MATCH INFO
Austria 2
Hinteregger (53'), Schopf (69')
Germany 1
Ozil (11')
