Egyptian model Salma El-Shimy was arrested on Nov. 30 after she held a photoshoot in Saqqara, an archaeological site in the city of Giza. Saqqara has been in the news a lot recently, with archaeologists recently uncovering at least 100 sealed coffins with mummified bodies inside.
In Egypt, anyone who wants to take photos or videos at an archeological site for commercial purposes must obtain a permit from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Not only did El-Shimy and her photographer, Hossam Muhammed, not have a permit to have the photoshoot, but the ministry called El-Shimy’s outfit — a strapless, tight white dress with a beaded belt and neckpiece — “inappropriate.”
A lawyer accused El-Shimy of “the distortion of civilization and insulting the great Pharaonic history.”
Despite her arrest and the publicity around the charges, El-Shimy still shared “sneak peeks” of the photoshoot on Instagram.
Leave a comment