Laborers Work For Illegal Expansion Of A Local Cemetery At Historic Site Of Dahshour, Egypt

In this Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013 photo, Egyptian labors work at the new construction site of the illegal expansion of a local cemetery that is seen spreading toward Egypt’s first pyramids and temples, at the ancient historic site of Dahshour, Egypt. The illegal expansion of a local cemetery has raised a panic among antiquities experts, who warn that the construction endangers the ancient, largely unexplored complex of Dahshour. The tombs are small complexes on their own, build mainly of cheap white bricks: Each is a walled courtyard with multiple enclosed niches where multiple family members can be buried. Rows of them now cover several acres inside the UNESCO-defined antiquities zone of Dahshour. The Black Pyramid, is seen background left and the Bent Pyramid, is seen background right.

In this Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013 photo, the new construction site of the illegal expansion of a local cemetery is seen spreading toward Egypt’s first pyramids and temples at the ancient historic site of Dahshour, Egypt. Rows of them now cover several acres inside the UNESCO-defined antiquities zone of Dahshour, coming to within 150 meters (yards) of Sneferu’s Valley Temple. The Red Pyramid is seen at background. <AP Photo/Nasser Nasser>