An ancient Egyptian temple to the god Ptah in the village of Meet Rahina near Memphis, just south of Cairo, now sits submerged in sewage.

The temple, which was built during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II (1279 BC - 1213 BC) and was once a major tourist attraction, now serves as a home for stray dogs.

According to local residents, sanitation authorities never removed the piles of garbage dumped around the temple by villagers. They also complain that many of their homes have likewise been flooded with sewage and underground water, which they have been forced to remove with the use of buckets.

“Villagers destroyed sewage pipes and built homes in their place,” said local resident Ashraf Beshir. “Meanwhile, they disposed of their washing water around the temple, creating a small lake in the area.”

“The authorities have forbidden us from burying our dead in and around the village on the pretext that the village itself is an archaeological site,” complained villager Abu Ahmed. “Even when tourists came to visit the temple, though, we never benefited.”

Haroun Mohamed, another local resident, urged authorities not to neglect the village. “Don’t forget that this area was the capital of Egypt during the reign of Ramses II,” he said.

Translated from the Arabic Edition.