Al-Maqah's prime columns to be set up

MAREB, Feb. 15 (Saba)- German Archaeological Institute's delegation
working in Serwah ancient city here has started setting up the six
main columns of al-Maqah Shrine dating back to the seventh century
BC.

Director of the General Authority for Antiquities and Museums'
Mareb Branch Mabkhout Muhtam told Saba the process of setting up the
six columns will take three days, within the 12 season of the German
delegation in the area began last January, 24 and will last next
march.

He pointed out that the works setting up the sixth columns comes
within a project for digging and maintaining the shrine. The project
is being carried out by the authority in collaboration with the
institute since 2001.

He pointed out that the maintenance work of the columns conducted by
specialists in constructing historical buildings included extracting
salts precipitated on columns. These salts destruct the columns. The
work also included healing and filling rifts resulted by weathering
and erosion infected the columns since that period.

He mentioned that the delegation has been working on completing the
digging and maintaining work since last November. Most of these
works are experiential in the framework of carrying out the project.