A stray dog spotted by a paragliding tourist on top of Giza's Great Pyramid has become an online sensation, with many likening the canine's features to the ancient Egyptian God Anubis.
The cream dog with light brown spots – named "Boka" by social media users – climbed the pyramid of Khufu late last week. The video, taken by a tourist flying over the Giza Pyramids in a motorised paraglider, surfaced online over the weekend and became an instant hit, with millions of views.
Some social media users said the video was the best, free publicity for Egypt. Others speculated on what motivated the dog to climb the nearly 150-metre-high structure built around 2,500BC.
Witnesses quoted in local media reports said he was chasing birds and kept barking at them when he reached the top. The video taken by the tourist, Alex Lang showed Boka happily moving around on the peak of the pyramid.
Others said the dog's impressive climb to the top may have been related to the mysteries surrounding ancient Egyptian burial places. Anubis, which Boka was compared to, is a jackal-headed dog that ancient Egyptians believed was the God of funerary rites and protector of graves.
“Maybe something inspired or persuaded him to go up there,” said Gamal Saleh, a canine expert and a former commander of the military's war dogs. “Maybe it's one of those pharaonic mysteries!”
Boka was also filmed as he climbed down the Khufu pyramid, with tourists on the ground gasping at the dog's extraordinary speed and agility.
“He made so much publicity for Egyptian monuments that's bigger than anything we could have planned,” said Amr Adeeb, a well-known Arab TV talk show host. “He came down the pyramid with so much ease it looked like he was walking through a field of clover. It's like he knew exactly what he was doing,” he said on the Saudi-owned network MBC Egypt.
Boka has been the subject of online humour, too.
One Facebook post showed him Photoshopped sitting in the guest's studio chair while being interviewed by Mona El Shazly, another famous TV talk show host. Other posts commented on the reported offer from a wealthy American to buy Boka for $100,000.
“I am hoping and praying that you spend your life here next to the Pyramids and never go if you get adoption offers outside Egypt,” wrote one Facebook user.
Egypt has long outlawed climbing any of its ancient pyramids, but in 2020 toughened the penalty for offenders who now face either a month in jail or a 200,000-pound fine (about $4,000).
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
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Rating: 5/5
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
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- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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UAE v Zimbabwe A
Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs
Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai
