While the order does not mention the reason behind the closure, it refers to earlier orders of January 6 and January 18 whereby the iconic monument was closed from January 19 to January 22 due to a bird flu alert.

The monument was also shut from January 22 to January 26 due to the Republic Day celebrations. However, it was supposed to be open for visitors on January 27, but it did not.

It is believed that this time the closure time will be utilised to ascertain any damage that might have been caused to the iconic monument when it was overrun by protesters on January 26.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel toured the Red Fort on Wednesday to take stock of the situation. He has sought a report on the incident from the ASI.

Pictures and videos showing sections of the Red Fort complex, including the metal detector gate and ticket counter, vandalized surfaced on social media in the aftermath of the Republic Day violence.

There is a total of 173 monuments in Delhi protected under the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI). These included Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb and Qutab Minar – all three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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This extraordinary find is discovered in the archaeological park’s Regio V site, which is not yet open to the public.

Traces of nearly 2,000-year-old food were found in some of the deep terracotta jars containing hot food which the shop keeper transformed into a counter with circular holes.

The front of the counter was decorated with frescoes, some painted with animals that were ingredients in the food, such as chicken and ducks.

There was a multi-sided counter with deep vessels for hot food, similar to soup containers.

Archaeologists also found a decorated bronze drinking bowl known as patera, ceramic jars used for cooking stews and soups, wine flasks and amphora. They also traces of pork, fish, snails and beef had been found in the containers.

“This is an extraordinary find. It’s the first time we are excavating an entire termopolium,” said Massimo Ossana, director of the Pompeii archaeological park.

Pompeii was buried in a volcanic eruption in 79AD and is one of Italy’s most popular tourist attractions.

Nearly 80 fast food sites have been found at Pompeii but this is the first time an eatery has been entirely excavated, he added.

Around 13,000 people were living in Pompeii, 14 miles from Naples, when it was buried in ash, pumice and dust.

The ruins were discovered in the 16th century and excavations began around 1750. Around two-thirds of the town has been uncovered.

Pompeii, one of Italy’s most popular attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a rare documentation of Greco-Roman life.

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