A Fatimid-era dome in Aswan was severely damaged on Tuesday when a crane fell on it during construction work.
The crane fell on the Al-Maadawi dome in the Fatimid cemetery, causing several parts of it to collapse.
“It is a great loss,” Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh Eldamaty told Ahram Online.
He went on to say that the ministry has taken all legal procedures and filed a police report against the crane driver.
He said he had assigned an archaeological and scientific committee to inspect the damage and suggest reconstruction solutions.
“Restoration work is to start as soon as the committee has finished its inspection and written its report within two days,” Eldamaty asserted.
Other procedures are to be taken to preserve the cemetery and prevent similar accidents, he added.
Eldamaty said the German archaeological mission, which has been working at the site since 2006, is to participate in the restoration work.
Mohamed Abdel-Aziz, assistant to the head of the Islamic Antiquities Department, explained that the Fatimid cemetery is one of the most important archaeological sites in Aswan. It is located in front of the eastern gate of the Nubia Museum.
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