Unique collaboration
While BESIX is known for delivering some of the most technically demanding construction projects in the world, from record-breaking high-rises to intricate marine works, sometimes it’s the smallest, most human-scale interventions that leave the deepest impression.
That was the case in Bersha (Egypt), where BESIX recently lent its expertise to a unique collaboration with Leuven University (KU Leuven) and the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo (NVIC). The mission? Not to build something new but to help uncover something ancient.
Tombs 46m deep
For over two decades, archaeologists from KU Leuven and NVIC have been investigating the remarkable tombs of Dayr al-Barsha, carved into steep limestone hills more than 4,000 years ago. These tombs, once the final resting places of powerful governors, are now critical to understanding Egypt’s Middle Kingdom.
But access to this knowledge is anything but easy. The terrain is rugged, vehicles can’t reach the site, and the shafts, some plunging as deep as 46 meters, are filled with multi-tonne stones deliberately placed to deter tomb robbers. In 2024, the team’s work came to a halt at the tomb of Governor Nehri II. Their hoisting equipment simply couldn’t go deep enough.
That’s when BESIX stepped in
In close collaboration with Orascom, BESIX engineers designed and built a custom-made gantry with a winch, robust enough to lift massive stones, but light and compact enough to be transported by hand over rough terrain up to the top of the hills. It’s not a typical job for a global contractor, but for the team involved, it was an honour.
On 3 April, BESIX joined Belgian and Dutch ambassadors on a visit to the site, guided by Professor Harco Willems and archaeologist Marleen De Meyer. Seeing their work resume with the new system was a proud and gratifying moment.
“We’re used to dealing with complexity,” said Joris De Kinder, BESIX Resident Manager. “But this time, complexity wasn’t in the size of the project: it was in the setting, the constraints, and the fact that what we were doing could actually help preserve history. That’s deeply rewarding.”
The excavations are still ongoing. But thanks to a bit of smart engineering and a shared commitment to cultural heritage, the past is once again within reach!
Want to learn more? Visit KU Leuven's Dayr al-Barsha project.
