Cairo's Qasr El-Nil lion statues
Such claims are “false and unfounded,” the SCA said in a statement on Tuesday.
Gamal Mostafa, head of the Islamic, Coptic, and Jewish Antiquities Sector, said the statues were not painted and were undergoing routine cleaning and maintenance.
According to the statement, Mostafa asserted that while the statues hold significant artistic and cultural value, they are not officially classified as antiquities.
The maintenance work is part of a collaboration between the SCA and Cairo governorate to enhance the appearance of statues in public squares and parks around the city, the statement noted.
The maintenance work, he continued, focuses exclusively on cleaning accumulated dust and pollution from the statues’ surfaces.
Mostafa said the maintenance work focused solely on cleaning the statues of accumulated dust and pollution and applying a transparent protective coating to shield the lions from environmental damage, including sunlight, dust, and rain.
“No varnish, coloured, or glossy materials were used at any stage,” the statement quoted Mostafa as saying.
The SCA further noted that this is not the first time these statues have undergone cleaning and maintenance.
Since 2021, the SCA has periodically conducted similar work, including applying protective coatings to prevent rust and decay and ensure the statues remain in good condition.
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