Geologist calls for revival of 'Imperial Marble Quarry' at Egypt's Golden Triangle

CAIRO – 9 May 2022: Geologist Abou Al Hagag Nasr El Din, who is member of the technical committee of the Golden Triangle, called Monday for the revival of the "Imperial Marble Quarry" located western Red Sea's Safaga town in the Eastern Desert.

The geologist noted that the marble extracted from such quarry was labeled "imperial" because it was used in building the columns of the Greco-Roman castles and temples. He explained that the blocks were first transported to Qena then to Rome through the Nile River and the Mediterranean.

Nasr El Din said that work at the quarry persisted for 100-150 years, but later, has been neglected for centuries. He clarified that the quarry, which was discovered in 1823, was called Mons Claudianus.

Now, the geologist proposes inviting the private sector to build a factory that would process that high-quality marble, supplying to both the local and global markets. He noted that large reserves of the "imperial marble" still exist in the area lying just 45 kilometers away from Safaga, which has a seaport. Similarly, the expert suggested organizing trips to the quarry, given its historic significance.

In 2017, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi issued a decree turning the Golden Triangle, extending between Red Sea's Safaga and Qusair, and Qena's Qift, into an economic zone.

The measure was aimed at easing licensing procedures for investment projects, as those would be carried out at one-stop shop unique to the area. The sectors eyed are mining, tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, solar energy and water desalination.

The main goal of this project is to exploit Egypt’s raw materials like gold and phosphate and increase their return on the economy. It will also legalize ‘illegal’ gold mining activities, as it will increase monitoring operations.
 

Further, the project will create major investment opportunities in Upper Egypt, especially in the sectors of cement, ceramics and quarries. Hence, the Egyptian government is targeting total investments worth $16.5 billion within 30 years after implementation.