Archaeological Discovery In Egypt To Boost Tourism
Travel Wire News reports in a major archaeological discovery, Egypt on Saturday unveiled the tomb of a Fifth Dynasty official adorned with colorful reliefs and well-preserved inscriptions.
The tomb, near Saqqara, a vast necropolis south of Cairo, belongs to a senior official named Khuwy who is believed to have been a nobleman during the Fifth Dynasty, which ruled over Egypt about 4300 years ago. “The L-shaped Khuwy tomb starts with a small corridor heading downwards into an antechamber and from there a larger chamber with painted reliefs depicting the tomb owner seated at an offerings table,” said Mohamed Megahed, the excavation team’s head, in an antiquities ministry statement.
Flanked by dozens of ambassadors, Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Enani said the tomb was discovered last month. It is mostly made of white limestone bricks. Ornate paintings boast a special green resin throughout, and oils used in the burial process, the ministry said. The tomb’s north wall indicates that its design was inspired by the architectural blueprint of the dynasty’s royal pyramids, the statement added.
The excavation team has unearthed several tombs related to the Fifth Dynasty. Archaeologists recently found an inscription on a granite column dedicated to Queen Setibhor, who is believed to have been the wife of King Djedkare Isesis, the eighth and penultimate king of the dynasty. Egypt has in recent years sought to promote archaeological discoveries across the country in a bid to revive tourism that took a hit from the turmoil that followed its 2011 uprising.
Paris Restaurants to Charge Cancellation Fees & Fines to No-Show Clients
RT .com reports cafes and restaurants in the French capital have opted to follow the lead of hotels and guesthouses and start charging their customers with cash penalties for late cancellation of reservations or failing to appear in time.
Hundreds of Paris eateries are currently adopting the system that is widely used in the hotel industry, the Times reports. Restaurants oblige clientele to leave details of their credit cards while making reservations, with big-name places warning customers over a potential charge in case of a no-show.
The measure is reportedly connected to losses the restaurants have to suffer when people make several reservations for the same day and then cancel at least one of them.
“Even in great restaurants, customers cancel without having the slightest idea of the economic impact of their action,” the managing director of Les Grandes Tables du Monde, an association of top restaurants Nicolas Chatenier told the media. Restaurants reportedly have to follow the trend due to French gastronomical habits, in particular, fondness for lengthy meals.
Singapore Changi Airport Opens Mega Mall
Changi airport on Wednesday opened a $1.7 billion retail and nature-themed complex that aims to give it a competitive edge as an air hub in the region. The 135,700 square meter, 10-story complex, named the Jewel Changi Airport, offers 280 retail and food outlets as well as a hotel and is linked to Changi’s Terminals 1, 2 and 3.
It is more than just a shopping mall as it houses the world’s largest man-made indoor waterfall, surrounded by a lush artificially created rainforest to give shoppers a unique combination of both retail experience and leisure. Standing 40 meters tall, the gigantic circular water feature has become the main attraction for visitors with its water plunging from a height of about seven stories from an oculus in the huge glass roof of the building.
The climate around the waterfall is controlled to appear cool and misty. The complex, designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, is aimed at turning the airport into a tourist destination and attracting more transit visitors. Taking advantage of Singapore’s abundant rainfall all-year round, the waterfall uses rainwater that has been funneled into it, with the water also diverted for irrigation of indoor plants.
Changi airport was voted by air travelers as the world’s best airport for the seventh consecutive year this year, with Tokyo’s Haneda airport in second place and South Korea’s Incheon airport coming third. It is the world’s seventh busiest airport for international traffic, with a record 65.6 million passengers passing through last year.
More information here: www.Jewelchangiairport.com
Other attractions at the Jewel include:
- It will house SIN’s largest indoor garden; Forest Valley, Canopy Park, light and sound show at the Rain Vortex which is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall (5 stories)
- Forest Valley is a 5-story garden, made up of around 3000 trees and palms with plant species from Australia, Brazil, China, Malaysia, Thailand, and US
- Canopy Park is located at the top level of the complex. Spanning 14,000 sqm (approx.. 11 Olympic-size pools), it is the home of the play attractions, a topiary garden and all-day dining options set within a/c comfort.
- There are 2 mazes, a hedge maze and a mind boggling mirror maze — And if that’s not enough, there is a walking net, suspended over a 25 meter void.
