Russian photographers Vadim Makhorov and Vitaliy Raskalov will do anything for the best shot.
With a group of their friends, the two photogs ignored posted signs prohibiting viewers from climbing up the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, in pursuit of truly great photos.
And great they are. The pictures show the various pyramids at dusk, the bright, multicolored lights of the city in the distance.
Still, traversing the historical monuments is not allowed, and hasn't been for decades, in the interest of public safety and preservation.
The images went viral, and soon pyramid guards caught wind of their existence, noticing they were taken from angles prohibited to the public. According to CNN, the photos have brought reactions from envious to enrage, to concerned for the physical status of the pyramids.
Makhorov sent a lengthy e-mail to CNN to give an explanation for he and his groups' actions, saying he has always been drawn to the majestic country, and has had the desire to top the Great Pyramid of Giza since childhood.
"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," he wrote. "It was already pitch black and nobody paid us any attention. We started climbing as fast and as soundless as we could...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 magnificient panorama."
In the e-mail, he also recognized that he and his friends could have gotten into a whole heap of trouble, and that they were lucky to have not gotten caught.
"That's why I would like to apologize for this ascension," he wrote. "We didn't want to insult anyone. We were just following the dream."
Was this a rebellious act of defiance, or a work of magnificent artistry?
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
