Recently, an Egyptian tour guide was apprehended after a video surfaced on social media, showing him sketching a stick figure on the Pyramid of Unas, a historic site dating back to the 24th century BCE, located in Saqqara.
The footage, first shared on X, depicts the guide interacting with tourists while attempting to erase the drawing with his hands. This act raised concerns about the preservation of the ancient monument.
Following the video's spread, authorities from the Saqqara Tourism Police Station responded to a report from an antiquities inspector. The report claimed that the guide had caused damage to the pyramid's outer casing during a demonstration for his group of tourists, as detailed by the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior.
In light of the incident, the ministry confirmed that "legal measures" were initiated against the tour guide, although the specifics of these measures were not disclosed.
Egypt's Antiquities Law, established in 1983, imposes strict penalties for defacing historical artifacts, which can include a one-year prison sentence and a fine of 500,000 Egyptian pounds, approximately $10,400.