Was it the ultimate adventure or an audacious act of disrespect that should be punished by law?
An Internet sensation was
touched off this week by Russian photographer Vadim Makhorov and a
group of his friends -- the group ignored regulations prohibiting the
public from climbing on the Pyramids at Giza, Egypt, and came away with
spectacular photos.
The images from Makhorov
and another photographer, Vitaliy Raskalov, were taken on top of the
Pyramids from positions that avoided detection by guards. The photos
have incited reactions ranging from envy and awe to indignation and
concern for the preservation of the ancient wonders.
In an email to CNN,
Makhorov now explains his reasons for flouting the regulations, and
issues an apology to Egypt and the world.
Vadim Makhorov's email to CNN
"I've always been drawn to Egypt. For as long as I can remember my dream was to get to the top of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
"When my friends and I
arrived in Cairo the first thing we decided to do was to go and see the
pyramids. We got there in the evening, just in time to witness the laser
show.
"No words can express the
fascination I felt when seeing my childhood dream come alive. Probably
this very feeling made us climb onto the top of the Pyramid and see the
the panorama of the whole complex, the desert and Cairo itself.
"It was already pitch
black and nobody paid us any attention. We started climbing as fast and
as soundless as we could. You have to be quite strong and agile to climb
onto a meter-high block covered with dust.
"The thought that we were going to witness something spectacular pushed us forward."
"It was exhausting, but the thought that we were going to witness something spectacular pushed us forward.
"It took us around 20 minutes to get to the top. We were taken breathless by the view.
"What we saw from up
there was the seventh wonder of the world. We tried to capture the
beauty of the scenery in the photos, so that the others could also see
this magnificent panorama.
"We, of course, were not the first who dared to climb the pyramid.
"The pyramid's peak was filled with different inscriptions in many languages, some of them being hundreds years old.
"After enjoying the view
for some time we started the descent. It turned out to be harder then
climbing up. We were very lucky not to get [caught]. We would have been
in serious trouble if we did.
"That's why I would like to apologize for this ascension. We didn't want to insult anyone. We were just following the dream."
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