As the late afternoon sun illuminated the Pyramids of Giza in the distance, nine rotting horse carcasses lay upended in the sand at the nearby village of Nazlat al-Samaan.
According to Zaki Sultan, a 43-year-old tour guide who has lost three of his own animals in recent days, additional carcasses waste away in the desert nearby.
Upon opening his empty wallet, the reason appears tragically simple. The impact of recent anti-Mubarak demonstrations means he does not have enough money to feed his animals.
“Many of the people in Tahrir Square are rich,” he said. “If they stayed at home for ten years and did nothing, they could survive.”
“They want to change the politics of Egypt, fine,” he continued, “but they shouldn’t destroy our lives in the process.”
The country's tourism industry is valued around US$11.5 billion and employs about 12 percent of the nation’s workforce.
Residents here say that up to 15,000 people live in Nazlat al-Samaan. Of these, around 2500 make their living by providing tours on camels and horses around the Pyramids, while others work in the area’s hotels and shops.
Virtually everyone here depends on the thousands of tourists who flock to the area each day. But after the Pyramids were closed following the clashes on 28 January, the flood of visitors drained to a trickle.
Mahmoud Brish owns a stable in Nazlat al-Samaan. He said it costs him LE2160 to feed his six horses grain and dried fruit every week, but because of the tourist shortfall–along with other expenses such as paying two grooms LE600 per month–he now feeds his animals only half their required intake.
“Some people in the village own one or maybe two horses,” the 45-year-old said. “Maybe the mother and father are old and the son works with the horse to feed his family. Our problem is how we feed ourselves, our family and our animals.”
Despite their suffering, many tourist workers expressed sympathy with the protesters.
“I agree with the demonstrators in Tahrir Square,” said Brish. “They changed a lot of things, but there is a limit. They should stop what’s happening now and give the government a chance. Mubarak said that he’s not going to be president again.”
Sameh Salim, a 35-year-old stable owner, agreed. “It’s good what they’re doing,” he said. “We’re with them. They’ve changed a lot politically, but we don’t need them to stay long.”
Their support for the demonstrators stems in part from the pre-existing animosity between police and stable owners.
Guides say that they must provide kickbacks of around LE50 per guest to police officers near the Pyramids.
“If I take LE75 from someone and then give LE50 to the police, how can I feed my family?” said Brish. “It means I’m not going to charge LE35 for a ride, like the government says I should, but LE200.”
Father-of-three Mohammad Hassan, who runs the Khattab Papyrus Museum in Nazlat al-Samaan, said he has been reduced to eating one meal every day because of the situation.
“Before we used to eat everything,” he said. “But now I am only eating falafel… If the protests continue for much longer, people out here won’t be able to live.”
