Daredevil tourist scales the heights for pyramid scheme
Authorities briefly detain German teen who broke the law to see the view from atop Cheops structure in Giza
A daredevil tourist scaled the heights of temporary fame when he illegally climbed the oldest and biggest pyramid in Giza to film the ancient structure and surrounding archaeological remains from on high.
“It was absolutely surreal standing on top of one of the wonders of the world and something that I will never forget,” Andrej Ciesielski, 18, told the London-based Telegraph newspaper. “I wanted to experience Egyptian culture and I definitely managed that.”
Ciesielski, from Munich, Germany, managed to scramble up the structure in only eight minutes. Police were waiting for him when he came back down, the newspaper reported Wednesday. Climbing pyramids is illegal.
“It took me about eight minutes to get to the top of the pyramid and I listened to music on the way up,” he said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLbxv8pwiVM
“After a few minutes climbing, I started to attract a bit of attention and some of the security shouted to me to come down in Arabic.
“I had asked the locals what they thought of my attempt and they warned me that it was illegal to climb the pyramids, although I thought it would be fine, what with Egypt’s dependence on tourists,” Ciesielski added.
“I was told, though that I did risk prison, although on balance I thought the photos would be worth it.”
With a height of 138 meters (455 feet), The Great Pyramid, also known as the Khufu or Cheops Pyramid, is the biggest of the three pyramids near Cairo and the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The flat-roofed tombs visible to the right of the massive edifice were earmarked for officials and some royal family members.
