Officials quizzed over temple wedding

Egypt’s antiquity authorities said yesterday that officials who allowed a wedding ceremony to be held at a famous ancient temple will be interrogated.

The move comes days after social media reported the party had been held inside the Temple of Karnak in Luxor, Upper Egypt, triggering an outcry and fears that such events could damage the monument.

Head of the governmental Supreme Council for Antiquities, Mustafa Al Waziri, said that the officials who oversaw the event at the temple have been referred to investigation.

He insisted the company that organised the event had obtained permission to hold a dinner — not a wedding — at the site, a popular attraction for millions of foreign tourists.

A legal complaint will be filed against the company for allegedly violating the permission, added Waziri without naming the firm. “A decision has been taken to halt dealings with this company,” he added.

In the past few days, critics on social media have claimed that nearly 500 guests attended the controversial wedding ceremony at the temple and that the Ministry of Antiquities received 125,000 Egyptian pounds (Dh25,720) in fees.

“If a wedding was really held at Karnak, this would be a big scandal,” a man, calling himself “a lover of Egypt”, said in a tweet.

“It would be shameful to endanger this immortal relic for a handful of pounds. There should be a transparent inquiry and its findings be made public,” he added.

Antiquity officials in Cairo declined to comment.

Luxor is home to some of Egypt’s most famed ancient temples and tombs. Karnak is a Nile-side complex of temples and colossal statues.