Following weeks of civil unrest that rocked the country, the Egyptian government announced today (February 18) that they will be reopening tourist sites this Sunday, reports CNN.
A statement from the office of Zahi Hawass, Minister of Antiquities Affairs, announcing the reopening of "all of the Pharaonic, Coptic, Islamic and modern sites." According to the statement, "Dr. Hawass…hopes tourists from around the world will soon return to Egypt.”
Several of the historical sites have been looted or damaged in the past weeks, and at least 18 artifacts were reported missing from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, following a break-in on January 28. Two of the missing items have since been found.
"There have also been many reports of attacks on archaeological lands," noted the statement. Among the effected sites are the tomb of Hetep-Ka in Saqqara and the tomb of Re-Hotep in Abusir.
The U.S. Department of State recommends Americans avoid all travel to Egypt, while the Canadian government continues to advise against any non-essential travel into the region, "due to the unpredictable security situation, high levels of criminal activity and the threat of terrorist attacks."