Controversy has recently arisen about moving four sphinxes from their find spot in Luxor (ancient Thebes) to Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Archaeologists and heritage experts argue that using the statues to decorate a traffic circle in the congested heart of the Egyptian capital is unlawful and may inadvertently damage the monuments. Not only is Tahrir Square one of the busiest places in the country—it was the epicenter of the 2011 uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak and is the location of the Egyptian Museum—but Cairo also suffers from extreme air pollution and high humidity. The sandstone statues are currently in […]