British tourist's attempt to bury his mother's ashes at Abu Simbel foiled by security

The incident took place on Sunday. The man wished to enter the temple grounds with a large group of fellow British tourists. While passing through the security gates, it was discovered that the Englishman had a box with him, containing a tightly sealed glass jar filled with what appeared to be ashes "with small pieces resembling bones."

The temple's security detained the man, and during questioning, he admitted that the ashes were cremated human remains, specifically those of his mother, who had died a month earlier.

The British tourist also disclosed that he had travelled to Egypt to fulfil his mother's last wish. The jar's lid was labelled in English with the deceased woman's name, along with her date of birth and death.

When asked why he was bringing cremated remains in a jar to the Abu Simbel temple grounds, he explained that King Ramses II appeared to his mother on her deathbed and instructed her to have her remains buried in the temple courtyard. He believed this would grant the British woman the pharaoh's blessing and ensure eternal life.

According to Ahmed Masoud, the chief antiquities inspector at Abu Simbel, the Briton was not arrested, and the jar with his mother's ashes was returned to him. Furthermore, the man was allowed onto the temple grounds. Still, he formally agreed in writing that he would not attempt to bury his mother's ashes at this or any other archaeological site, as doing so would violate Egyptian law.

The archaeological site of Abu Simbel consists of a complex of two temples built between 1264 and 1244 BC during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II. The temples of Ramses II and Nefertari were carved into the rock.

Abu Simbel is located on the Nile, about 300 kilometres south of Aswan.