Hundreds of Egyptian public figures, political parties, professional unions, activists and specialists demanded an immediate halt to demolition operations carried out over the past few months in Cairo's historic cemeteries to make way for a highway and major road infrastructure.
"The signatories… denounce the process of demolishing the historic mausoleums in the Egyptian capital on , protected by local and international laws," read a released over the weekend.
"The cemeteries earned their value by the worth of the bodies of the figures buried inside, subsequent generations of the sons of this nation with their different classes and brackets, who contributed to its culture and civilisation," the statement added.
For months now, the government of President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has been facing backlash over the annihilation of historic Cairo cemeteries in the Al-Khalifa neighbourhood in southern Cairo, known as and those of as thousands of human remains have been removed to the outskirts of the capital in the process.
Many of the graves in question had earlier been added to the UNESCO-listed , hosting the remains of public and holy figures, including companions of Muslim Prophet Muhmmad, holy figures, rulers, politicians, artists and literary figures. These sites are considered invaluable not only due to their historical importance, but also due to aesthetic significance.
"Such cemeteries further symbolise a variety of unique architectural significance representing eras of funerary architecture over diverse eras," the statement signatories said.