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Egypt Completes Work on Restoration of Amun-Ra Shrine in Temple of Seti I

Images adorning the walls of the shrine of Amun-Ra
Images adorning the walls of the shrine of Amun-Ra
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Egypt Completes Work on Restoration of Amun-Ra Shrine in Temple of Seti I

Images adorning the walls of the shrine of Amun-Ra
Images adorning the walls of the shrine of Amun-Ra

The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities has completed its restoration of the ancient shrine of the ancient Egyptian deity Amun-Ra in the Temple of Seti I in the city of Abydos in southern Egypt’s Sohag Governorate as part of a comprehensive project to restore and develop cultural tourist attractions that include seven other shrines.

Supreme Council of Antiquities Secretary-General Mostafa Waziri said in a press statement on Sunday that the restoration work on the Temple of Seti I and other temples and archaeological sites across the country are being conducted “within the framework of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities’ initiative to develop our archaeological sites so they draw more local and international tourists, and enhance cultural tourism in Egypt.”

Saadi Zaki, Director General of the Restoration of Upper Egypt Antiquities, indicated that the restoration work of the ancient cabin took about three months and included cleaning the cabin mechanically and chemically, removing the layers of soot, which covered the cabin inscriptions, and removing dust using various brushes, in addition to completing the missing parts of the walls and ceiling, and strengthening of colors, before the start of the final stage, which is insulation.

The walls of the Temple of King Seti I are decorated with inscriptions explaining how the ancient Egyptians performed religious rituals; it includes seven booths and two column halls and is reinforced by thirty-six granite columns.

Dr. Hussein Abdel Basir, Director of the Antiquities Museum of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, said: “The Temple of Seti I, which was built in the 19th Dynasty, is one of the most beautiful archaeological temples in Egypt. It is full of colorful religious imagery. The colors in ancient Egypt can be studied through the inscriptions of this temple.”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he addedthat “Seti I was among the greatest kings in Egyptian history, but he was overshadowed by the fame of his son King Ramses II. If there were no Ramses II, Seti I would have been the most famous king of ancient Egypt.”

For his part, Mohamed Abdel Badi, head of the Central Administration of Upper Egypt Antiquities, explained that “the shrine of the god (Amun-Ra) is one of the seven chapels in the Temple of Seti I in Abydos, and it was dedicated to the worshipers of Amun-Ra.”

“At the end of the temple, we find an imaginary door from the western side, and its walls are adorned with images representing the journey of the sacred boat to the other world and religious rituals and offerings to the deity Amun-Ra.”

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Mexico Bans Junk Food Sales in Schools in Latest Salvo Against Child Obesity

A child snacks on cotton candy at Chapultepec park in Mexico City, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
A child snacks on cotton candy at Chapultepec park in Mexico City, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
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Mexico Bans Junk Food Sales in Schools in Latest Salvo Against Child Obesity

A child snacks on cotton candy at Chapultepec park in Mexico City, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
A child snacks on cotton candy at Chapultepec park in Mexico City, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

A government-sponsored junk food ban in schools across Mexico took effect on Saturday, officials said, as the country tries to tackle one of the world’s worst obesity and diabetes epidemics.
The health guidelines, first published last fall, take a direct shot at salty and sweet processed products that have become a staple for generations of Mexican schoolchildren, such as sugary fruit drinks, packaged chips, artificial pork rinds and soy-encased, chili-flavored peanuts, The Associated Press reported.
Announcing that the ban had become law, Mexico's Education Ministry posted on X: “Farewell, junk food!” It encouraged parents to support the government's crusade by cooking healthy meals for their kids.
“One of the core principles of the new Mexican school system is healthy living," said Mario Delgado, the public health secretary. “There's a high level of acceptance of this policy among parents.”
Mexico's ambitious attempt to remake its food culture and reprogram the next generation of consumers is being watched closely around the world as governments struggle to turn the tide on a global obesity epidemic.
In the United States, for instance, the Trump administration’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has vowed to upend the nation's food system and “ Make America Healthy Again " by targeting ultra-processed foods to curb surging obesity and disease.
Under Mexico's new order, schools must phase out any food and beverage displaying even one black warning logo marking it as high in salt, sugar, calories and fat. Mexico implemented that compulsory front-of-package labeling system in 2020.
Enforced from Monday morning, the start of the school week, the junk food ban also requires schools to serve more nutritious alternatives to junk food, like bean tacos, and offer plain drinking water.
“It is much better to eat a bean taco than a bag of potato chips,” said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has championed the ban.
Mexico’s children consume more junk food than anywhere else in Latin America, according to UNICEF, which classifies the nation’s childhood obesity epidemic as an emergency. Sugary drinks and highly processed foods account for 40% of the total calories that children consume in a day, the agency reports.
“At my daughter's school, they told us that future activities wouldn't have candy, it would be completely different, with fruit, vegetables and other food that's healthy for kids,” said Aurora Martínez, a mother of two. “It will help us a lot.”
One-third of Mexican children are already considered overweight or obese, according to government statistics.
School administrators found in violation of the order face stiff fines, ranging from $545 to $5,450.
But enforcement poses a challenge in a country where previous junk food bans have struggled to gain traction and monitoring has been lax across Mexico’s 255,000 schools, many of which lack water fountains — even reliable internet and electricity.
It also wasn't immediately clear how the government would forbid the sale of junk food on sidewalks outside school campuses, where street vendors typically hawk candy, chips, nachos and ice cream to kids during recess and after the school day ends.
“It will be difficult,” said Abril Geraldine Rose de León, a child therapist. “But it will be achieved in the long run.”