18-Year-Old Risked 3 Years In Jail To Climb The Pyramid Of Gaza, And The Police Caught Him

The Great Pyramid of Giza has stood for more than 4,500 years and remains one of the world's most iconic landmarks. Climbing it is strictly prohibited, but that did not stop one teenager from attempting the feat in 2016. At just 18 years old, German tourist Andrej Ciesielski travelled to Cairo and scaled the Great Pyramid, also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or Cheops, in broad daylight. Equipped with a GoPro, he documented the climb and later shared photographs and videos online. What made the stunt particularly controversial was that Ciesielski knew it was against the law. He later said locals had warned him not to climb the pyramid, but he decided to go ahead anyway.

Also Read: Foreign Tourists Allegedly Photograph Jaipur's Roadside Garbage, Sparks Criticism

He Was Spotted Halfway Up

Ciesielski began his climb during the day, drawing attention almost immediately. According to his account, a street vendor noticed him at the start and laughed it off. As he continued higher, however, onlookers began to realise what was happening. By the time he was halfway up, police had spotted him and were shouting for him to come down. Ciesielski ignored the warnings and kept climbing.

In 2016, an 18-year-old German named Andrej Ciesielski did something almost no one is allowed to do.

He walked up to the Great Pyramid of Giza in broad daylight, put on a GoPro, and started climbing.

Halfway up the 146-metre monument, police spotted him and started shouting. He… pic.twitter.com/49yfFXLqA3

— Earth_Wanderer (@earth_tracker) September 5, 2026

He later said he listened to music throughout the ascent and reached the summit in around eight minutes. After spending a few minutes taking photographs and soaking in the view, he began the journey back down, which took roughly 20 minutes.

Built as the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu during Egypt's Fourth Dynasty, the Great Pyramid originally stood about 146 metres tall. It remains the largest of the three pyramids at Giza and the only surviving monument from the ancient world's original Seven Wonders.

Also Read: Watch: Tourist In Gujarat Can't Get Over The Architecture Of Palanpur's Jain Temple

What Happened After He Came Down?

Once back on the ground, Ciesielski was taken to a police station and questioned about the climb. According to reports at the time, he was eventually released without facing prosecution. Some accounts claimed authorities deleted the photographs and footage from his camera, though Ciesielski later said he managed to recover the files.

At the time, climbing the pyramids was considered an offence under Egyptian law, with reports suggesting violators could face penalties including prison time.

The images captured from the summit soon spread across the internet, offering a rare bird's-eye view of the Giza plateau from a vantage point few people have ever experienced, and one tourists are not permitted to access.