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An Egyptian tour guide found himself in legal trouble after reportedly doodling a stick figure on the ancient Pyramid of Unas, a relic standing for 4,000 years, during a tour.
A video making rounds on social media captures the moment where the guide appears to lean in towards a lower section of the pyramid’s exterior, as a group of tourists stand by listening. Subsequently, the footage shows him trying, albeit unsuccessfully, to erase the sketch with his hand, leaving faint traces behind.
In a statement shared on the platform X, the Egyptian Interior Ministry confirmed that the guide had “defaced an antiquity by drawing on one of the pyramids’ outer surfaces” while explaining the historical site to visitors. Initially, the broader Giza region was mentioned in the report.
The video’s viral spread prompted the ministry to launch an investigation. An antiquities inspector subsequently filed a report with the Saqqara Tourism Police Station, leading to the guide’s identification. Specialists later successfully removed the markings.
Authorities confirmed the arrest of an Egyptian tour guide for allegedly etching a stick figure onto the historic Pyramid of Unas in Saqqara. (Egyptian Ministry of Interior)
Authorities apprehended the suspect, who confessed to the act during questioning, according to the ministry.
“Legal measures have been taken,” the ministry added, noting that specialists have since removed the markings.
Local media outlets, citing the Interior Ministry’s investigation, identified the site as the Pyramid of Unas in the Saqqara necropolis south of Giza.
An Egyptian tour guide was arrested after allegedly sketching a stick figure on the 4,000-year-old Pyramid of Unas in Saqqara, officials said. (Egyptian Ministry of Interior)
B.C. for the Pharaoh Unas, is historically significant for containing the earliest Pyramid Texts. These religious inscriptions consist of more than 200 spells carved into the pyramid’s interior walls, forming what scholars consider the oldest known collection of funerary texts.
An Egyptian tour guide was arrested after allegedly sketching a stick figure on the 4,000-year-old Pyramid of Unas in Saqqara, officials said. (Egyptian Ministry of Interior)
The pyramid is located within the vast Saqqara necropolis, part of ancient Memphis – Egypt’s first capital and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site that contains a sprawling complex of tombs, temples and pyramids.
Egypt has increased enforcement and preservation efforts at archaeological sites in recent years as officials seek to protect ancient monuments that attract millions of visitors annually.
Under Egypt’s Antiquities Protection Law, damaging actions such as writing on or damaging archaeological sites can carry prison sentences and fines, with the exact penalties varying by offense.
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