Egyptian authorities have erected a 12-mile fence around the Giza pyramids and the Sphinx in order to keep out hawkers and peddlers.
Hawkers hanging around the site have grown notorious for hassling tourists to buy their goods, sometimes aggressively.
They sell everything from souvenirs to trinkets to T-shirts.
"It was a zoo," said Zahi Hawass, Egypt”s chief archaeologist.
"Now we are protecting both the tourists and the ancient monuments."
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| Theft in Giza Pyramids |
While previously just a low stone wall protected the only surviving member of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the new 13 foot-high barrier is complete with alarms, sensors and CCTV cameras.
Visitors enter the fence through a brick entrance building, with half a dozen gates equipped with metal detectors and X-ray machines.
Once inside, they are closely watched by nearly 200 cameras whose footage goes back to the control room, where guards monitor a bank of 24 screens around the clock.
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