Cairo: Egypt’s antiquity authorities said on Sunday that officials, who allowed a wedding ceremony to be held at a famous ancient temple, will be interrogated.

The move comes days after social media reported the party had been held inside the Temple of Karnak in Luxor in Upper Egypt, triggering an outcry and fears that such events could damage the pharaonic monument.

Head of the governmental Supreme Council for Antiquities Mustafa Al Waziri said in a statement that the officials, who oversaw the event at the temple, have been referred to investigation.

He insisted the company that organised the event had obtained permission to hold a dinner not a wedding at the site, a popular attraction for millions of foreign tourists.

A legal complaint will be filed against the company for allegedly violating the permission, added Waziri without naming the firm.

“A decision has been taken to halt dealing with this company,” he added.

In the past few days, critics on the social media have claimed that nearly 500 guests attended the controversial wedding ceremony at the temple and that the Ministry of Antiquities received 125,000 Egyptian pounds (Dh25,720) in fees.

“If a wedding was really held at Karnak, this would be a big scandal,” a man, calling himself “a lover of Egypt”, said in a tweet.

“It would be shameful to endanger this immortal relic for a handful of pounds. There should be a transparent inquiry and its findings should be made public,” he added.

Antiquity officials in Cairo declined to comment.

Luxor is home to some of Egypt’s most famed antiquities, including ancient temples and tombs.

Karnak is a Nile-side complex of temples and colossal statues and columns. It was built by successive Pharaonic dynasties, with the oldest parts being about 4,000 years old.

In recent years, the monument has been the venue for opera shows with the aim of boosting the country’s sluggish tourism.

Once, a major foreign currency for Egypt, the tourism industry bore the brunt of street upheaval that followed the ouster of president Hosni Mubarak.

In October, 2015, Egyptian tourism suffered a new hard blow when a Russian passenger plane crashed in Sinai shortly after its departure from the popular resort of Sharm Al Shaikh.

All 224 people on board were killed. Russia said the jet had been brought down by a terrorist bomb and halted all flights to Egypt. Daesh claimed responsibility for the alleged bombing.

In recent months, tourism has shown signs of recovery. Earlier this year, Russia restarted its flights to Cairo. Egyptians are pushing for the resumption of Russian flights to the country’s holiday havens of Sharm Al Shaikh and Hurghada.

Last year, some 8.6 million foreign tourists visited Egypt, an increase of more than 55 per cent against 2016, according to official figures.