Cairo cemetery destruction prompts angry resignation

An Egyptian government official has submitted his resignation over the destruction of a number of historic mausoleums in centuries-old cemeteries in Cairo.

Dr Ayman Wanas – who is a professor of urban design – said his role in registering significant buildings in the Egyptian capital had become futile.

He described the government’s moves to develop the cemetery areas as a waste of Egypt’s rich and irreplaceable heritage.

The campaign has caused anger and outrage among many Egyptians on social media.

But the government says its campaign is one of restoration and development, rather than destruction.
By BBC World Service