"For the first time ever in my life, we come here to the pyramids and there's nobody here," he said. "I don't know if it's my lucky or unlucky day."
CAIRO — The wind-swept pyramids of Giza were virtually deserted Sunday, symbols not just of the might and culture of the pharaohs but also the damage that Egypt's upheaval has inflicted on tourism, a pillar of the economy.
Just two dozen foreign tourists were seen by midday at the wondrous monuments, where thousands flocked daily before protesters launched an uprising in late January that toppled the president. Camels-for-hire stood in the sand, bereft of riders. Subdued vendors clung to their postcards and tiny pyramid sculptures.
Antiquities officials tried to kickstart an industry that employs as many as 2 million Egyptians, saying "all Pharaonic, Coptic, Islamic and modern sites" reopened Sunday. Six museums in Cairo, and Luxor and Aswan on the Nile river, also reopened, and other museums plan to do the same soon.
The government's statistical bureau said about 210,000 tourists fled the country in the last week of January, costing Egypt about $178 million. Cancellations for February, however, add up to an estimated revenue loss of $825 million.
A few tourists have signed up for heavily discounted tours to Egypt. One German couple at the pyramids said they booked a weeklong trip, including flights, hotels and meals, for just 500 euros ($685). Tourist lodging nationwide is mostly empty, despite offers at some four-star hotels of as little as $20 or $30 a night.
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