Egypt as a whole is a country that surprised me greatly. It has fascinating places to visit and touring the country knowing its history is one of the best trips that can be done. The Pyramids of Giza are a must see on any trip to Egypt. And about them there are endless curiosities.
In this post we are going to discover the 15 most surprising curiosities about the Pyramids of Giza.
HOW TO VISIT THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZA, EGYPT
The best way to visit the Pyramids of Giza is to do it with a guided tour. Not only is it enough to visit the monuments themselves, but the best thing is to know their history. How were they built and for what purpose?
On the blog you have a complete guide on how to visit the Pyramids of Giza. In addition, you can read about the 15 Essentials to see in Cairo and about the best areas to stay in Cairo.
Excursions and guided tours to visit the Pyramids of Giza:
15 CURIOSITIES ABOUT THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZA THAT WILL SURPRISE YOU
1. The Pyramids of Giza are not three
One of the most frequent beliefs when you start to visit Egypt is that there are three Pyramids of Giza; The Pyramid of Cheops, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure. However, Giza has 9 pyramids.
In addition to the three pyramids of the great pharaohs of the third dynasty, there are also six other pyramids of the queens. These six are much smaller and tend to go more unnoticed.
2. The Pyramids of Giza are perfectly aligned
The pyramids of Cheops, Kefren and Menkaure are not randomly placed, but are perfectly aligned with each other.
What is not so obvious is that they are also aligned with the Orion Constellation. In fact, there is an Orion Correlation theory that claims that the alignment of the Pyramids of Giza with the Orion Constellation is not purely coincidental.
In Ancient Egypt they were very spiritual and believed that the stars of Orion were associated with Osiris, the protector god of the deceased in the afterlife. Therefore, the three pyramids are aligned with this constellation. For Osiris to protect the three great pharaohs.
3. The Pyramid of Cheops is the only wonder of the ancient world that is still standing
The Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria make up the list of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.
Unfortunately, six of these wonders no longer exist, but one of them can still be enjoyed today; The Great Pyramid of Giza or the Pyramid of Cheops.
4. The Cheops Pyramid and mathematics
It is believed that the Cheops pyramid has the presence of the number pi (π) in its building.
If the perimeter of the pyramid is divided by twice its height, the number 3.142 is obtained, that is, the number pi.
Experts say this is a simple geometric fluke, since the number pi (π) was discovered several centuries later.
5. The Cheops Pyramid is smaller than when it was built
When the Cheops pyramid was built in 2570 BC it was 146 meters high. Due to the wear of the limestone that covers the surface of the pyramid and the theft of some stone blocks from the top, today The Great Pyramid (The Pyramid of Cheops) measures 138 meters high.
6. The Pyramids of Giza were not built by slaves
Despite the beliefs that the Pyramids of Giza were built by slaves (just like other monuments and temples in the country), the reality is that they were built by wage laborers.
This information was known thanks to some writings that were found on the schedules of the workers. In them you could see that the workers had a break at noon to eat, something that in case of being slaves that break would be unthinkable.
In addition, the skeletons of some pyramid workers were found. Next to them were found vessels that they used to eat and drink while working on the construction of the pyramids. Another unthinkable fact in case they had been slaves.
7. In Egypt you will not only find the Pyramids of Giza
On the Giza plateau you will find 9 pyramids, but they are not the only ones in the country. There are more than 120 pyramids spread throughout the territory. Some of the best known pyramids are the Bent Pyramid of Dashur, the Red Pyramid of Dashu, the Step Pyramid of Saqqara and the Pyramid of Meidum.
8. In ancient times the pyramids "were made of gold"
When the Giza pyramids were built they were covered by a limestone lining. Due to the sun rays, it made the pyramids appear to be made of gold.
At present, there is hardly any covering of that limestone left due to wear, and it can only be seen at the tip of the Pyramid of Khafre.
9. The Cheops Pyramid is built with more than two million pieces
It is said that the Cheops Pyramid looks like a puzzle built with many pieces. And it is that, in the construction of the pyramid, more than 2,500,000 stone blocks were used.
In addition, each of the stone blocks at the base of the pyramid weighs approximately 17 tons and those at the top about 2 tons each. It really is impressive and a bit unreal to think how they were able to build the pyramids without machinery so many thousands of years ago.
10. The pyramids of Giza were built quickly
The construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Cheops, lasted between 20 and 30 years. Scientists have calculated that if this estimate is correct and taking into account that 2.5 million stone blocks were used, a block should have been placed every two and a half minutes approx. For the other pyramids, many fewer years were invested.
If we take into account that the Sagrada Familia has been under construction for almost 100 years in modern times, it could be said that the Cheops pyramid was built very quickly.
11. The Cheops Pyramid and its function as a clock
Just by looking at the Cheops Pyramid you can tell what time it is in Egypt. Or so they say. The shadows that are created in the Great Pyramid are supposed to indicate the exact time, the solstices and equinoxes.
Everyone knows that the ancient Egyptians had superior knowledge of science and that astrology was one of the things they were best at, so although it is only a theory detailed by experts, we have no doubt that it were possible.
12. The Pyramids of Giza are very well guarded
The three pyramids of Giza are guarded by the Great Sphinx, a monumental sculpture 20 meters high and 70 meters long. It is believed that this huge statue with the head of a human and the body of a lion could represent Khafre.
13. The place where the pyramids of Giza are located is no coincidence
In ancient Egypt everything was studied and nothing they did was by chance. And the situation of the pyramids of Giza, on the west bank of the Nile, is not.
All the necropolises of Egypt are located to the west of the Nile because in Ancient Egypt the east represented life and the west death. The Egyptians said that, just as the sun is born in the east and dies in the west, life is also born in the east and ends in the west.
14. The Pyramids of Giza are a UNESCO World Heritage Site
In 1979, UNESCO recognized Memphis and its necropolis (the area of the pyramids from Giza to Dahshur) as part of the World Heritage.
15. The construction of the Pyramids is an unresolved mystery
Anyone who appreciates the pyramids in first person will realize the magnitude of the place and of themselves. It makes you think about a lot of things.
The way in which the stone blocks were transported from the quarry and stacked to build the pyramids would undoubtedly be one of the greatest curiosities about the Pyramids of Giza. It is completely unknown how the mechanism they used was to be able to stack blocks of such magnitude and weight.
Some of the theories of the experts indicate that the ancient Egyptians could have used wooden or bronze levers to lift the blocks and that they had hydraulic systems to moisten the sand and transport the blocks more easily from the quarry.
But the reality is that none of the theories that have emerged have yet been proven. Therefore, 4,600 years later its construction is still a great mystery.
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I hope you enjoy your trip to Egypt a lot and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
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