For more than 4500 years, the Egyptian pyramids have been considered the world’s most enigmatic and impressive architectural constructions ever made. Their mysteries puzzle scientists and archaeologists alike, as they have not been able to figure out how these colossal monuments were built.
Luckily, not beaten by failure and with the hope of shedding light on the most fundamental questions regarding the pyramids, scholars continue with the task of deciphering the messages left behind by this advanced civilization.
Although there is already a lot of information out in the open, it seems like there are many more secrets that are yet to be discovered. Let’s take a look at our list of mind-boggling facts about the Egyptian Pyramids.
1. They were built by a more advanced civilization
Visited by thousands of tourists each year, the only reminding wonder of the Seven Ancient Wonders is a symbol of Egyptian culture. Nevertheless, evidence shows that the pyramids were built by a predecessor civilization that was far more advanced.
Despite many fruitless efforts to recreate the way in which the pyramids were constructed, scientists believe that they could not have been built using only manpower, rope and wood.
Thus, the technique used to lay 2.3 million blocks of stone just to build the Great Pyramid of Giza must have been more advanced. This great piece of engineering took 2 decades to build and some believe it was probably there before the Egyptians came to the site.
2. The pyramids have heat spots and temperature control
Thanks to thermal scanning, scientists found out that some areas show temperature discrepancies, especially on the eastern side of the Great Pyramid and in King Tutankhamen’s tomb. However, the source of this heat control mechanism remains unclear.
Some scholars think that this change of temperature might be the result of the natural deterioration of the stone, such as fractures or a change in composition. However, others believe that other chambers or passages might be hidden behind the walls.
Of course, there are also those who believe that there is some strange form of energy that is simply too advanced to be explained. Sounds mysterious, right?
3. An energy-powered pyramid?
Although many scholars have given their lives to the study of these magnificent monuments, their efforts to explain everything based on scientific evidence have not always provided answers. Some of them don’t believe that these pyramids were only tombs of pharaohs and kings.
Many theorists believe that Ancient Egypt was everything but primitive and that the Great Pyramid had electricity. The water that runs through its shafts could have acted as conductor, providing energy to the entire construction.
Such air shafts are made of granite and are radioactive to a small degree, which results in air ionization. Sounds very modern, doesn’t it?
4. Two decades of hard labor
How the pyramids were constructed is a controversial topic that has been thoroughly discussed. Some scientists calculate that Khufu’s pyramid took more than 20 years and that more than 20,000 men helped built it. Also, these men were not slaves, but highly skilled craftsmen and artisans.
To be able to bring the materials to the site was a complicated logistical task. Archaeologists estimate that the Great Pyramid alone was built of 5.5 million tons of limestone, 8,000 tons of granite and 500,000 tons of mortar. So how did they transport everything from the quarries to the sites?
This happened 4,500 years ago. Needless to say, ancient Egyptians were pioneers in engineering and architecture, leading a fantastic team of workers who created something unique at the time.
5. The Serapeum of Saqqara
The labyrinth of tunnels and passageways underneath the pyramids is still the source of many questions that remain unanswered. One of them is the secret behind the mysterious granite boxes found near the Pyramid of Giza. They are very large, weigh over 100 tons and are made of Aswan granite.
What is their purpose? The thing that puzzles scientists the most is how precisely cut and engineered they are. Together they are called the Serapeum of Saqqara, located in the now deserted city of Memphis. The black boxes have some hieroglyphics on the surface, but unfortunately they are illegible.
6. The original façade of the Great Pyramid looked quite different
The pyramids were not always part of the tawny tones of the desert, as we know them. They were actually white, and they would shine bright like a diamond when the sun rays touched them. Covered in polished limestone slabs, the pyramids were truly a sight.
Some researchers believe that some pyramids also had gold at the top. Unluckily, it was also discovered that the limestone and presumably the gold were stripped off the pyramids by Muslims many, many years ago to build mosques and other fortresses.
We can only imagine how magnificent they must have looked in their glory days!
7. The Great Sphinx of Giza remains a mystery
One of the most beloved spots for tourists, as well as one of the world’s largest statues, the Great Sphinx features a man’s head with a lion’s body, wearing a Pharaoh’s headdress. It was supposedly erected for Pharaoh Khafre over 4,500 years ago, but some scholars think it was made under the order of Pharaoh Khufu, his father.
According to some Egyptologists and Sphinx authorities, this figure was considered a spiritual guardian by Ancient Egyptians and built as a sacred monument designed to harness solar energy to maintain Ma’at, the earthly and divine order. Nonetheless, the real symbolism of this statue has not been entirely confirmed.
8. What glue did they use to keep the blocks together?
Over the years, the materials used to build the pyramids have been thoroughly analyzed. However, there are things that are still hard to determine. For example, the glue that holds all the pieces together!
Scholars from Drexel University in Philadelphia have studied different samples, concluding that the strong paste used contains an amorphous silicon-containing material, which is basically concrete.
Another theory from French scientist Joseph Davidovits claims that Egyptians made every block directly on site. Then, the blocks were glued together by pouring an ancient type of concrete, named geopolymer, into molds made of wood. Unfortunately, none of these theories have been entirely accepted by other academics.
9. They are aligned with the stars
One of the most surprising facts about the Pyramids is that they seem to be strategically built in alignment with the stars. There is evidence that shows that there is a correlation between the three largest pyramids at Giza and the three stars that comprise the belt of Orion: Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka.
This means that the pyramids were not only aligned with each other, but also with the sky! 4,500 years ago, Orion’s Belt didn’t even have a name yet, but the three mighty stars were believed to represent Osiris, the ancient Egyptian god of death, afterlife, and rebirth. Could this only be a coincidence? We don’t think so.
10. The pyramids are also precisely aligned from North to South
Besides being aligned with the stars, the chambers were aligned specifically and accurately from North to South. What is astonishing is that the precision in which they are lined up is even greater than the one from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, with an accuracy of up to 0.05 degrees, and this was thousands of years ago!
There are many theories about how this could have possibly happened. One is that the ancient Egyptians used two stars in the Big Dipper and Little Dipper constellations as reference to build the pyramids in a north-south direction. How could they have possibly done this without the current technological advances?
11. The Pyramid Of Djoser
The Great Pyramid of Giza might be the most famous pyramid in Egypt, but it is not the oldest one. The Pyramid of Djoser, built in the 27th century BC by Imhotep, was designed as a tomb for Pharaoh Djoser. It is the central monument of the Saqqara necropolis, a large cemetery with many other tombs.
Unfortunately, it has suffered major damage in comparison to the Great Pyramid. Therefore, there is a commission dedicated to its preservation and restoration. The step pyramid is more than 4,600 years old and it’s the oldest stone structure of its size in the world.
12. The Great Pyramid was once the tallest building ever built
For 3,871 years, the Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest man-made construction of the world. It is the tallest of the three pyramids, the length of each side at the base averaging 755.75 feet (0.23 km) and its original height being 481.4 feet (0.15 km).
That was until the Lincoln Cathedral in England was erected in 1311, with a height of 524 ft (0.16 km). After that, many other taller buildings have been built, especially after the boom in skyscraper construction in Asia.
However, it is still mind-blowing that the Pyramid was made over 4,500 years ago and that it was so majestic and grand. It was, after all, the tallest building for the longest period of time in history.
13. The chambers remain at 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 °C)
The Egyptians, or their more advanced predecessors, must have been incredible engineers. Among the many features that make these pyramids so interesting and advanced, is temperature regulation.
Thanks to the air shafts inside the pyramid, fresh air is able to travel all the way to the Pharaoh’s chamber. This helps cool down the temperature of the chamber and avoid overheating.
Considering the heat to which the pyramids are constantly exposed, one would think that the pyramids are equally hot inside, but they are surprisingly cool. The fact that they remain at precisely 68 degrees Fahrenheit (ca. 20 degree Celsius) is something that not even scientists can fully explain.
14. Hieroglyphs were found in one of the pyramids
Popular belief holds that pyramids are full of secrets and that there must be passageways full of hieroglyphs with the complete history of Egypt. However, for a very long period of time, hieroglyphs were not at all found inside the pyramids.
It was until 2012 that some hieroglyphs were found inside the Great Pyramid. Scientists inserted a microscopic camera that was able to enter a small, unreachable space at the end of a tunnel. Painted in red ocher were three figures, which scholars have identified as numbers.
But, what is the numbers’ significance? Well, some say it is the count of stone blocks that were used to build the tunnel. Other than that, no other hieroglyphs have been found inside the pyramids until this day.
15. Someone tried to destroy them, but failed
Who could possibly want to damage these majestic monuments? And more importantly, why? After the Muslim invasion of Egypt, Al-Aziz Uthman, Sultan of Egypt and the second son of Saladin instructed his men to damage these “instruments of idolatry” because locals used to worship them.
The Kurdish ruler and his men destroyed some smaller pyramids. However, the larger ones were a problem. After many strenuous efforts and enormous expense, they seized. Thus, the most noticeable mark of his attempts to destroy the pyramids is a deep vertical dash in the north face of the pyramid of Menkaur, the smallest of the three pyramids in Giza. Thankfully, it is still standing.
16. What tools were used during construction?
It is hard to imagine how this gigantic pyramids were built and what tools and instruments were used to do so. The thought that these monuments were made without the use of large machinery is beyond belief.
However, it is known by now that Egyptians or their predecessors used rudimentary equipment to construct these amazing pyramids. One of the main questions that remains unanswered until this moment is how the heavy blocks of stone were transported.
The distance between the quarries to the pyramids’ sites was approximately 500 miles (ca. 805 km). How on Earth could they have possibly transported them?
17. How did Egyptians drilled granite back in the day?
One of the discoveries that has puzzled scholars throughout the years is how Egyptians drilled granite and cut stone in such a precise way, even though their tools were primitive.
So, how did the Egyptians actually do this? Apparently, this topic has caused great controversy. Take for example Khufu’s sarcophagus, which features a series of well-drilled holes.
Some believe that some kind of abrasive powder of finely grounded quartz salt, along with jewelled tubular drills featuring cutting points of the same material, were used. Others believe it was through the use of fixed points of emery. Until today, nobody knows for sure.
18. A large chamber in the Great Pyramid was newly discovered
In December 2015, physicists from Nagoya University in Japan joined forces with the Japanese High Energy Accelerator Research Organization and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission to carry on a particular research.
To be able to look for new findings, the team used cosmic ray muon detectors, which is non-invasive technology. As a result, they identified a 30-meter-long room inside the Great Pyramid. Up until this point, it is known that it is not a tomb. However, its particular purpose has not been confirmed.
Fortunately, this discovery will help scientists understand how the pyramid was built. Without a doubt, this has been the most significant discovery at the Giza site since the 19th century.
19. Tutankhamen’s tomb was found in 1922
King Tutankhamen was the last Pharaoh of the New Kingdom in Egypt. He started ruling when he was 9 years old, and he lived from ca. 1342 to 1325 BC. Many centuries later, in 1922, his tomb was found by British archaeologist Howard Carter in The Valley of the Kings.
This discovery sparked interest around the world. The tomb was found intact and its content is an absolute treasure. The sarcophagus is made of gold and semi-precious stones, as well as lapis and turquoise.
The inner coffin is also made entirely of pure gold. For many, the most astonishing piece is the Death Mask, which is nowadays exhibited at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
20. The finding of Osiris, the Egyptian God
Restoration work in the pyramids is a never-ending task, and a very fruitful one. Recently, a statuette of the Egyptian God Osiris was found during routine work inside the Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara.
The place where the statuette was found, in a hole between large granite blocks, is a fact that scientists find hard to explain. Some scholars believe it was purposefully hidden for protection, as Osiris is the Egyptian god of the underworld, lord of the afterlife and judge of the dead.
Nowadays, the figure is undergoing restoration work at Saqqara’s antiquities storehouse. It is made of bronze and remains in great condition.
21. The air shafts are also aligned with the stars
We know that Egyptians knew a lot about astronomy, but this discovery will blow your mind! The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the most intricate pyramids of all, with many features that make it truly unique. One of them is the existence of air shafts, which let fresh air inside the pyramid, working as a cooling system.
Now, here is what makes things a bit more interesting: the air shafts are aligned with the stars! For example, the southern shaft in the King’s Chamber is aligned with Orion’s belt.
But why? Well, that’s because Orion was associated with the Egyptian god Osiris, lord of the Afterlife, and the Pyramids are burial sites. Very impressive, isn’t it?
22. The pyramids acted as stairs to the afterlife
A staircase to heaven, or better said, to the afterlife. That is what many people believe was the purpose of these magnificent buildings. Known to be burial sites for the Pharaohs and members of the Egyptian lineage, it is not entirely wrong to assume that the pyramids were designed to help the soul of the King ascend to heaven and join Ra, the god of the Sun.
Think about it: the pyramids are aligned with the stars, they point towards sky, their coffins are equipped with many instruments and artifacts to be used in the afterlife, and the kings believed they were earthly gods that would reincarnate. It makes perfect sense!
23. The many faces of the Great Pyramid of Giza
Everybody knows that pyramids have 4 sides. But surprisingly, the Great Pyramid of Giza has 8 faces, not 4! Each face has concave indentations that are only noticeable under specific light conditions. This means that each side is halved!
This discovery was made by a British Air Force pilot by the name of P. Groves. While he was flying over the pyramid, he noticed that something didn’t add up. Thus, he took a photo from above, in which the shadows of the pyramid clearly indicated that there were more sides to it than we thought!
This can only be perceived when looking from above and it is more visible at dusk and dawn, especially on the spring and fall equinoxes.
24. A labyrinth is hidden under the Great Pyramid
Along many other hidden secrets, there is a complex of caves, tunnels and passageways that might as well be a labyrinth underneath the Great Pyramid of Giza. It is under a limestone bedrock and it currently houses bats and spiders.
Untouched archaeology is still being researched and documented. The labyrinth of tunnels is approximately 30 meters long. Then, it hits a long hall that opens up into a staircase that is approximately 8 meters high and 46 meters long, leading up to the pyramid center, the King’s tomb.
Other passageways are believed to remain hidden, which is why the work of archaeologists in this particular site seems never-ending.
25. The Tomb of King Tutankhamen took 10 years to be restored
Upon its discovery in 1922 and for many decades, this famous tomb was visited by numerous tourists and researchers, as well as dust, humidity, microbes and any other foreign agent that came along with them.
It wasn’t until the Getty Conservation Institute and the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities started a restoration project 10 years ago that uncontrolled access was put to a halt.
Nowadays, the tomb’s wall paintings have been stabilized after being stained and damaged for years. Viewing platforms and barriers to protect the walls have also been installed. Moreover, the air is being filtered and a ventilation system was installed to reduce the effects of humidity, carbon dioxide and dust.
26. There are over 100 pyramids in Egypt
Even though the Giza and the Saqqara sites are the most popular sites, there are many other pyramids, buildings and monuments in Egypt, and some of them existed long before the Great Pyramid was even built.
Nowadays, 118 pyramids have been found by archaeologists on the West Bank of the Nile. Also, there are many other smaller tombs, temples and buildings where the people who worked at the pyramids used to live.
Most pyramids were built from the beginning of the Old Kingdom period to the end of the Ptolemaic period. However, the glory days of the pyramids started with the third dynasty and carried on until the sixth.
27. Why were they built on the West Bank of the Nile?
Pyramids are burial sites. Their main purpose was to house the earthly remains of the Pharaohs and to help their souls ascend to Ra, the God of the Sun. Therefore, the location of the pyramids was crucial, as they had to be facing the sun, which set on the western horizon every dusk.
The sun was associated with Osiris, the god of the Afterlife. Therefore, the pyramids’ location was strategical for the Pharaoh’s journey to the afterlife.
To say that Egyptians believed in mythology is an understatement. Every decision they made during the construction of these mind-boggling buildings was based on their beliefs.
