Giza Pyramids summit inscriptions reveal historic tourist markings

New high‑resolution photographs of the summits of the Giza Pyramids show a series of stone‑carved inscriptions left by visitors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The markings include names, dates and even city names such as "Glasgow", providing a rare glimpse of early tourism on the ancient monuments.

Access to the pyramid tops is now limited to a small number of researchers and specially‑permitted teams, as climbing has been banned for safety and preservation reasons. The images were captured by photographer Osama Sherif Elmedany, who documented the details that ordinary visitors have not seen for decades.

The pyramids were constructed around 2550 BCE for Pharaoh Khafre, originally reaching about 143 m in height; today they stand at roughly 136 m after loss of much of the outer limestone casing. The newly revealed summit inscriptions add a human layer to the millennia‑old structures, linking modern visitors to the ancient builders.