Monday
Apr122010
MENA House: Solving a Pyramids Problem
Monday, April 12, 2010 at 10:44
Christina Baghdady checks in on a wondrous venture that didn't turn out so wonderful:
Technically it is forbidden to climb the pyramids, also 5000 years and the only existing Ancient Wonder of the world. However, if you approach the right man with something to offer you might be able to climb on the bricks, each one five-feet tall.
On 8 April Hassan Farouk Antar, 24, from the Daqahileyah governate, decided to do just that. He climbed Khafra’s pyramid, 136.4 metres (410 feet) high and the second-tallest pyramid in Egypt. Some claim that he wanted to reach the summit to get a clearer view for photography. However, having reached the highest point of the pyramid, he looked down and realised it wasn’t such a wise decision to climb up after all.
The irony of Hassan's heroic attempt to conquer the heights of the pyramid is that he didn’t live up to his name: Antar. His namesake was a successful and brave warrior in the Middle Ages. Arab folklore claims that he went through perils and life-threatening challenges for the love of his cousin Abla.
In this 21st-century case, however, Antar miscalculated the basic theory of physics; what goes up must come down.
What happened next? Plan A was for police to attempt to climb up the Wonder of the World. That plan failed as, according to eye-witnesses, the stranded man began to throw chunks of pyramid stone at the police.
Plan B was to bring a "specialist on pyramid climbing" to the scene to bring Hassan Antar back down to earth safely. After some close analysis, the specialist realised that the rescue attempt could endanger both their lives. The idea of Antar throwing chunks of pyramid stone at him may also have been disconcerting.
Finally, Plan C! On 9 April (yes, a day later), a helicopter was sent in to rescue Antar, who would now enjoy arrest and questioning by the police. The airlift was successful. No one was seriously injured, and the Pyramids live on for another 5000 years, minus a few chunks of brick.
Technically it is forbidden to climb the pyramids, also 5000 years and the only existing Ancient Wonder of the world. However, if you approach the right man with something to offer you might be able to climb on the bricks, each one five-feet tall.
On 8 April Hassan Farouk Antar, 24, from the Daqahileyah governate, decided to do just that. He climbed Khafra’s pyramid, 136.4 metres (410 feet) high and the second-tallest pyramid in Egypt. Some claim that he wanted to reach the summit to get a clearer view for photography. However, having reached the highest point of the pyramid, he looked down and realised it wasn’t such a wise decision to climb up after all.
The irony of Hassan's heroic attempt to conquer the heights of the pyramid is that he didn’t live up to his name: Antar. His namesake was a successful and brave warrior in the Middle Ages. Arab folklore claims that he went through perils and life-threatening challenges for the love of his cousin Abla.
In this 21st-century case, however, Antar miscalculated the basic theory of physics; what goes up must come down.
What happened next? Plan A was for police to attempt to climb up the Wonder of the World. That plan failed as, according to eye-witnesses, the stranded man began to throw chunks of pyramid stone at the police.
Plan B was to bring a "specialist on pyramid climbing" to the scene to bring Hassan Antar back down to earth safely. After some close analysis, the specialist realised that the rescue attempt could endanger both their lives. The idea of Antar throwing chunks of pyramid stone at him may also have been disconcerting.
Finally, Plan C! On 9 April (yes, a day later), a helicopter was sent in to rescue Antar, who would now enjoy arrest and questioning by the police. The airlift was successful. No one was seriously injured, and the Pyramids live on for another 5000 years, minus a few chunks of brick.