November 5, 2022
Luxor – Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Ambassador Daniel Rubinstein inaugurated the restored Carter House during the centennial celebration of Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb. The U.S. Government supported the restoration of Carter House in partnership with the American Research Center in Egypt, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and several other partners, as part of its longstanding commitment to preserve and protect Egypt’s cultural heritage. Ambassador Rubinstein was joined at the inauguration by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa, UK Ambassador Gareth Bayley, and the American Research Center in Egypt’s Executive Director Louise Bertini.
At the event, Ambassador Rubinstein reiterated the United States’ support for and commitment to Egypt’s cultural heritage, “I am excited to be here today to celebrate the centenary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb, and the restoration of Carter’s House. The U.S. Government has invested more than $100 million to protect Egypt’s extraordinary cultural heritage and ensure local communities benefit from the growing tourism industry. In Luxor, funding from the United States has preserved iconic sites, including Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple Complex, Medinet Habu, Valley of the Kings, and today’s site, Carter House.”
The U.S. Government, through USAID, supported the restoration of Carter House through a $13 million program focused on historic Cairo and Luxor Governorate called the Integrated Management of Cultural Tourism program. This program works with the Government of Egypt to streamline tourism laws and regulations, incentivize investment in cultural tourism through public-private partnerships, and add value to current tourist attractions by incorporating additional business opportunities, such as entertainment and event spaces. The program specifically targets its support toward micro-, small-, and medium-sized businesses, which ensures that local communities reap the benefits of Egypt’s tourism sector.
The United States has contributed more than $100 million (over 2.4 billion Egyptian pounds) over the past 25 years to preserve dozens of cultural heritage sites throughout Egypt, from Aswan to Alexandria.
Since 1978, the American people have contributed over $30 billion (EGP 471 billion) to support Egypt’s economic development. To find out more about USAID’s work in Egypt, please see https://www.usaid.gov/egypt, and follow @USAIDEgypt on Facebook and Twitter.
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