Pyramid at Saqqarah Photo: AFO / Album / Profimedia
The police in Egypt announced that they arrested a tour guide on suspicion of drawing on a pyramid near Cairo while giving explanations to a group of foreign tourists, DPA reports on Friday, taken over by Agerpres.
In a recording published on a social network, you can see some drawings sketched, apparently, by the tourist guide on the outer facade of the pyramid, a gesture that attracted a wave of criticism online and accusations of vandalizing an ancient object.
In the video, the man who made the drawings is caught red-handed and questioned.
The Egyptian news portal Egypt Today reported that the drawings were made on the Unas pyramid, within the Saqqara necropolis in Giza. Unas, a pyramid from the time of the 5th Egyptian dynasty, is the first example of funerary texts known as the Pyramid Texts.
Tour guide ARRESTED after drawing sketches on the 4,000yr Pyramid of Unas in Saqqara, Egypt
Thankfully, it was chalked and washed right off. But omg what was this guy thinking???
pic.twitter.com/qU3eKxHNsX— Jimmy Corsetti (@BrightInsight6) February 27, 2026
The guide was arrested after a local antiquities inspector filed a police complaint accusing him of vandalizing a monument while explaining to a group of tourists, Egypt's interior minister said in a statement earlier this week.
During the interrogation, the guide admitted the act, the release also says. The drawings were later removed by the authorities in the field.
If convicted, the guide could face a prison sentence of at least one year and a fine of up to 500,000 Egyptian pounds.
