Cairo, Nov 24 : An ancient Egyptian temple of Ptah, located in the village of Meet Rahina near Memphis, just south of Cairo, now sits in stinking effluent.

The temple, built during the reign of Ramesses II (1279 BC - 1213 BC) and once a major tourist attraction, now serves as a home for stray dogs, reports Almasry Alyoum.

There is now a small lake of wastewater and sewage surrounding the temple.

The local residents said that sanitation authorities never removed the piles of garbage dumped around the temple by villagers.

They also complained that many homes were also flooded with sewage and underground water, which were removed using buckets.

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

"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," he added. (ANI)

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