Egypt condemns 'damaging' pyramid porn film

Egypt's antiquities minister has blamed a disgruntled former tourism worker for disseminating a video showing a foreign couple performing a sexual act at the Giza pyramids.

Mamdouh al-Damati said in a televised interview on Sunday that the businessman was known for his anti-government leanings and was intent on damaging his country's tourism market. He did not name the worker.

The video in question was apparently copied from an adult website last month and quickly spread on the internet. It shows a 23-year-old Russian pornography star named "Aurita" walking round the Giza complex semi-naked, before performing a lewd act on a man holding a video camera.

Damati said: "This person is trying to damage tourism and has spread a video that was filmed in 2011 of a tourist exposing herself at the pyramids. This tourist has not come back to Egypt since then and has been banned from coming into the country, which no one is talking about."     

Asked if the man was a member of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, Damati said: "You should ask him." 

This tourist has not come back to Egypt... and has been banned. Mamdouh al-Damati, antiquities minister

Damati said the worker developed his grudge with the antiquities ministry after his requests to work in the bazaar industry were rejected.

An Egyptian antiquity official initially claimed that the video had been manipulated to harm Egypt's reputation.

Osama Karar, the coordinator of the Popular Front to Defend Antiquities, accused local security officials of taking bribes to allow the filming. He said one of the scenes was filmed in an area prohibited for tourists.
 
Tourism is one of the main sources of income for Egypt. Revenues have declined in the four years of instability since the 25 January revolution against Hosni Mubarak.