| The idea of eternal life, so dear to the ancient Egyptians, is conveyed through a style of funerary architecture that stands the test of time. These tombs are divided into two sections, one representing the life of the deceased and the other containing the person's remains and the objects customarily regarded as making life in the hereafter more pleasant. The world of the living coexists with that of the dead, and cemeteries are close to towns. An Egyptian city of the dead can stretch over several kilometres and is laid out like a town, with a rich variety of open spaces and architecture. With the passage of time, the commingling of the worlds of the living and the dead becomes more obvious. A combination of deregulation of the rental market, a serious shortage of social housing, and evictions, with no system for compensation or finding alternative accommodation, have driven some people to live in cemeteries. In Cairo, a megalopolis of 16 million people, the famous City of the Dead is thought to accommodate between 500,000 and 1 million underprivileged people-at least 20,000 of whom are living in the tombs themselves. |
.&title2= Modern graves in a cemetery at Asyut, Nile valley, Egypt (27°10’ N, 31°10’ E).&title3= Tumbas modernas en un cementerio de Asiut, valle del Nilo, Egipto (27° 11’ N-31°11’ E). "download in wallpaper")
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