"He first watched television for some time and then immersed himself in prayers and Quran recitation until the dawn prayers," the source said.

Morsi was flown to Alexandria's Borg al-Arab prison Monday after appearing, along with seven other defendants, in court for the first time to answer charges that they had incited the murder of demonstrators outside Cairo's Ittihadiya presidential palace late last year.

The court session was Morsi's first public appearance since his ouster more than four months ago by the military establishment.

Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president, is being held at a two-room detention in the Borg al-Arab prison hospital.

On arrival to the prison, Morsi met for nearly an hour with the administration and prison regulations were read out to him.

"As a former president you would be kept away from criminal prisoners and under tight protection," one officer reportedly told Morsi.

The ousted president was then given the prison uniform he would be using during the entire period of his detention.

The Interior Ministry on Tuesday denied reports that Morsi suffered medical problems after the court proceedings or was on hunger strike.

In a statement, the ministry said Morsi was admitted to the prison hospital for routine medical checkups before being moved to his detention cell.