SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL PROPIEMS RESULTING IN DISPIACEMENT OF EL-KARNAK AND AL- GORNA AREAS PEOPLE AND THEIR IMPACT ON SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS - AFIELD STUDY

Luxor governorate of Upper Egypt considers one of the largest monumental governorates that includes on its lands third of the world’s monuments. For its significant unique position, a plan for making Luxor an open global museum has been set and included with the comprehensive development plan, depending on a study of the Developmental Center of the UN and the extracted data from studies of Egyptian ministries and institutions; in addition to the UN Organization for Education, Science, and Culture (UNISCO) which is a fundamental partner for considering Pharaoh monuments a human heritage. The development plan includes removing violations from the monumental areas and so the close residential areas to Al-Karnak temple, to be re-planned and improved from an urban perspective. In order to achieve this target, a huge number of people of Al-Karnak area have been displaced compulsively, as the removal, property disposition, and displacement decisions have reached more than 5.000 resolutions for houses’ removal, in addition to tourist companies and bazaars. This development hasn’t unfortunately taken into consideration the social dimension for those displaced away from their homes where they lived for more than 100 years, leading to dispersion and dispersion of families which is a symbol for social and family position, besides removing shops and bazaars which means destroying of economic income of those people.
The current study drives at identifying the reasons of displacement of people in Al-Karnak and Al-Gorna areas in Luxor governorate; identifying as well the social and physical problems accompanying this displacement. The study’s purpose also is to identify the changes occurred because of displacement in social relationships. The study sample consists of (197) items from Al-Karnak and Al-Gorna. Results indicate that compulsive displacement leads to weakness of relative and social relationships causing social dispersion which reflects also on all society and creates social and personal stress in coping with new circumstances requiring more time to cope with the new social, cultural, or psychological conditions. The study recommends making a whole comprehensive evaluation before starting any displacement operations and assuming this occurs for the purpose of development. Evaluation should include impacts of displacement and discovering alternatives and strategies. The study recommends the necessity for participating and sympathizing with displaced people and explains to them the reasons for this displacement and the alternative solutions; in addition to make them participate in planning for displacement operation. Moreover, the authorities in charge should present alternative houses for people and compensate them for the damages. Displacement should not be violent and they should avoid compulsory displacement for the negative social, psychological, and economic effects it leaves on citizens.