Public outrage bursted on Monday as photos and a video of a Danish photographer and a model scaling the Great Pyramid of Giza went viral.
Andreas Hvid and his model friend mounted the pyramid while documenting their journey in a video that has already garnered 2.8 million views on YouTube.
Hvid's original plan was meant to have his Norwegian friend as an accomplice, but as they were on their way up, guards spotted and referred them to a police station. They were later released without charges.
After his Norwegian friend went back to his home country, Havid contacted people in Denmark and was able to convince the model to join him on the adventure.
They had a plan ready for execution. They hid in a temple for hours until the site was empty, then went on the climb.
The couple allegedly took 25 minutes to climb the whole pyramid.
The climb itself caused an uproar among Egyptian authorities and individuals, but the more intense rage came from a single photo. In it, the naked couple were positioned on top of each other in a sexual manner.
In an exclusive interview with Ekstra Bladet, a Danish website, the 23-year-old photographer said it was his dream to climb the pyramid.
"The idea of making a 'nude shoot' up there" was also exciting for him, he told Ekstra Bladet.
The couple weren't involved in any sexual act on top of the pyramid. The photo, which Hvid titled "pyramid f*ck," was a spontaneous idea he got after reaching the peak.
On his website, Hvid showcased some interesting and daring photos under "Rooftopping," "Nude Art," and "Chernobyl" categories.
As his goal was to go up the pyramid for a "Rooftopping" photo, he ended up filling one spot in the "Nude Art" list.
Rooftopping is a subcategory from the wider, more popular concept called "Urban Exploration." The latter is the act of exploring manmade sites that are abandoned.
"Urban Exploration's most important rule is that you do nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footsteps. We never hurt the places we visit," he explained to the Danish website.
"I'm sad that so many people have become so angry. But I have also received a positive response from a lot of Egyptians - something I think is worth remembering," Hvid added.
Egyptian authorities launched an investigation
On Sunday, Egypt's Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Anany revealed to MPs that the prosecution is investigating Hvid's footage and its authenticity.
The investigation will try to answer "how a Danish photographer and his girlfriend were able to scale the Pyramid of Khufu, and whether they really filmed an explicit pornographic video atop the Pyramid," Ahram Online reported.
"The prosecution authorities will tell Egyptians how the two tourists were able to scale the Great Pyramid of Khufu, whether the video is real or fake, and negligent officials will be brought to justice," El-Anany said, according to Ahram Online.
El Anany added that the scaling of pyramids is "strictly forbidden."
On Hvid's side, he reassured readers - those upset and not - by saying he will avoid any future visits to Egypt for him not to be arrested or fined.