Egypt investigates authenticity of nude pyramid video

Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Prosecutors plan to investigate the authenticity of a video that appears to show two nude people atop the Great Pyramid of Giza, said Egypt's antiquities minister, who called it a "violation of public morality."

Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani told members of Parliament the probe will determine if the 3-minute video by Danish photographer Andreas Hvid is doctored. Egypt forbids people from scaling the pyramids "and negligent officials will be brought to justice," he said.

The video to show Hvid and a woman, whose face was pixelated to obscure her identity, climbing the pyramid of Khufu or Cheops at night. When they reach the top, the woman appears to remove her shirt and a still photo shows the two in a nude embrace.

The video has since been taken down and a similar, less explicit video remains on Hvid's YouTube page.

"The explicit video has sparked fury and outrage among Egyptians in general, and the officials affiliated with the Ministry of Antiquities in particular," Anani said in a report by Ahram Ahram.

Ashraf Mohi, director general of the Giza Plateau, said the video appeared fake because the area around it is too well lit. Also, security would have prevented the two people from reaching the pyramid.

Hvid, who has posted videos of similar stunts at other tall landmarks around the world, said he dreamed of climbing the pyramid for years.

"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," he told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet.

Hvid is not the first artist to face backlash for nude photography at historic landmarks. In June, Belgian model received criticism for posing for a nude photograph atop a building overlooking the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The year before she sparked similar outrage on a trip to Egypt where she was photographed wearing nothing but sunglasses near the pyramids.