1 hour ago
3
A tour guide in Egypt reportedly sketched a stick figure into the wall of a 4,000-year-old pyramid while explaining its history to a group of sightseers.
The male guide, seemingly lost in his fiery explanation of how the Pyramid of Unas came into existence, appeared to sprawl a stick-figure drawing into layers of the ancient edifice on its lowest side, according to a video shared by the Egyptian Ministry of Interior.
He then tried to wipe the sketch away, but to no avail, the video showed.
The man was arrested for violating Egyptian law after police received a report that someone “had damaged an antiquity by drawing on the outer casing of one of the pyramids,” the ministry said.
The suspect allegedly “confessed to committing the incident as described” and the sketch was later removed by “the competent authorities,” the ministry added.
“Legal measures” were taken against the accused man, although the ministry didn’t provide any additional details.
Under Egypt’s 1983 Antiquities Law, anyone who defaces an antiquity can be put behind bars for at least one year, plus face a fine of 500,000 Egyptian pounds — or roughly $10,400.
The Pyramid of Unas — situated just 20 miles away from the main Pyramids of Giza — is widely acclaimed for featuring the earliest-known examples of Pyramid Texts.
Upwards of 200 religious spells were inscribed on the texts to ensure the protection and resurrection of the Egyptian pharaoh Unas, whose tomb lies in the heart of the pyramid.
It was constructed in the 24th century BC for Unas’ impending death. He was the ninth and final king of the Fifth Dynasty; an era marked by a clear cultural shift toward worshipping the sun god, Re, and the subsequent establishment of multiple sun temples.
English (US)