CAIRO, March 27 (Xinhua) -- "My mother is an environment activist and I'd like to follow the steps of mama," Mathew, a nine- year-old Canadian boy who lives in Cairo, said while observing the Earth Hour at the Giza Pyramids.

"My mom goes to eco-club and I am signed up for the eco-club and then we are even learning about the environment," he said.

In the famed Giza Pyramids on the western outskirts of Cairo, all lights and sound systems were tuned off for one hour starting from 08:30 p.m. (1830 GMT). Egypt's well-known sound and light show completely stopped during the hour.

Many Egyptian bodies and organizations participated in the Earth Hour campaign on Saturday for the second year in response to calls by the ministries of environment and electricity to show solidarity with the people all over the world against climate change.

"This is the second year that Misr Light and Sound Company takes part in the Earth Hour and it commit itself to turning off all sound and light systems in the archeological sites it operates in," said Maged Eldeeb, director of the Sound and Light Show in the Pyramids plateau.

Earth Hour was launched in Sydney, Australia in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against the climate change. A year later, it became a global sustainability movement.

Nowadays the event which was promoted by an initiative from the World Wildlife Fund gains the support of almost 5 million people and a global network in more than 100 countries.

"I have done it last year and the year before but it is the first time we come to the Pyramids to celebrate here. I am from Canada but I am living currently in Egypt ... I could not imagine a more magical place than the pyramids in Egypt when the light is switched off," Lisa Ashbey, a 30-year-old environmental activist, said.

Ashbey who also celebrated the occasion last year in her house in Cairo said she believes the event is of big symbolic significance for the climatic dilemma of the earth.

"It won't completely change. But I think it is so important that people from all around the world are reminded of how important it is to look after our earth," she said.

"It doesn't matter what country you are from, we are on the same planet and we need to look after this planet for us and for the future generations and by doing it today it reminds us of things that we can do tomorrow and each day," she said.

Eldeeb, however, said that the event could be a good opportunity for his fellow citizens to give a strong message to people worldwide about the importance of taking action to protect the earth against the climate change.

"There is a message that we want to give through our participation. It is that we, the Egyptians, share the world issue, " he said.

"And there are many groups and organizations taking part in the event to underline the necessity to protect our planet against the dangers of pollution and noise to guarantee a safe and sound life for us and the coming generations," Eldeeb said.

But it still needs time for the message to be heard by all.

Outside the Pyramids, everything went on normally. No light was turned off in the souvenir shops, and the only change was that visitors were a little bit fewer, which made each of them have a bigger share of light.

"It is really interesting that people are turning off the light at this time ... we did it last year at our house in Cairo," said Benjamin, a 12-year-old boy who was with Ashbey at the Pyramids.