Most people simply know that the Egyptian pyramids are large in size, impressive structures, built long ago in ancient Egypt. Also widely known is the fact that the pyramids served as monumental tombs, in which were buried the pharaohs, the rulers of ancient Egypt. However, in fact, there are many more interesting things and little-known facts that many people do not know about these exciting buildings. In order to expand your knowledge of the Egyptian pyramids, review the twenty-five facts presented below, which you may well not know. 25. The three most famous Egyptian pyramids are those that are in the Necropolis of Giza (Giza Necropolis), but in fact in the area of ancient Egypt, there were found about 140 pyramids.
24. The most ancient Egyptian pyramid is the Pyramid of Djoser, which was built in the Saqqara Necropolis in the 27th century BC. 23. While the Pyramid of Djoser is considered the oldest, the Pyramid of Khufu (also known as the Great Pyramid of Giza) is the largest. The original height of the pyramid was 146.5 meters, and the present height is 138.8 meters. 22. Until the Lincoln Cathedral of the Virgin Mary (Lincoln Cathedral) was built in England in 1311, the Great Pyramid of Giza retained the title of the tallest building in the world created by the hands of man. She kept the record at least 3871 a year!
21. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the last one existing at the moment. 20. The calculation of the number of workers involved in the construction of the pyramids varies greatly, nevertheless, it is likely that they were built by at least 100,000 people. 19. The pyramids of Giza are protected by the Great Sphinx, the largest monolithic sculpture in the world. It is believed that the face of the Sphinx was similar to the face of the pharaoh Khafra (Khafra). 18. All the Egyptian pyramids were built on the west bank of the Nile, which is the place of sunset and associated with the kingdom of the dead in Egyptian mythology.
17. Ancient Egyptians buried their noble citizens in pyramids with funeral gifts that varied from household items to the most expensive things, such as jewelry. They believed that the dead would use them in the afterlife. 16. The very first known architect of the pyramids was Imhotep, the ancient Egyptian erudite, engineer and doctor. He is considered the author of the first large pyramid – the Pyramid of Djoser. 15. While experts usually agree on the hypothesis that the pyramids were built of huge stones carved with copper bits in the quarries, the methods used to move and fold them still remain subject to heated debate and speculation.
14. Another, relatively obvious, fact is that the methods used to build the pyramids have evolved over time. Pyramids of a later period are not built like the earliest pyramids. 13. After the end of the period of construction of the pyramids in Ancient Egypt, an outbreak of pyramid construction began in the territory of modern Sudan. 12. In the 12th century, an attempt was made to destroy the pyramids of Giza. Al-Aziz, the Kurdish ruler and the second sultan of the Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt, tried to demolish them, but he had to surrender, as this task was too large-scale. However, he managed to damage the Menkaure’s Pyramid, where, due to his attempts, the vertical yawning pit remained in its northern slope.
11. The three pyramids of Giza are precisely aligned in accordance with the constellation of Orion (Constellation of Orion), which could well be the idea of the builders, since the stars of Orion were associated with Osiris, the god of regeneration and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian mythology. 10. According to calculations, the Great Pyramid of Giza consists of 2 300 000 stone blocks, which weigh from 2 to 30 tons, and some of them even reach a weight of more than 50 tons. 9. Initially, the pyramids were covered with facing stones from well-polished white limestone. These stones reflected the light of the sun and made the pyramids shine like precious stones.
8. When the facing stones covered the pyramids, they could be seen from the mountains in Israel and maybe even from the moon.
7. Despite the wild heat that surrounds the pyramids, the temperature in the pyramids themselves actually remains relatively constant and holds around 20 degrees Celsius. 6. It is difficult to calculate accurately, but the weight of the Cheops Pyramid may well be about 6 million tons. 5. The pyramid of Cheops was built face north. In fact, it is the most carefully aligned north structure in the world. Despite the fact that it was built millennia ago, the pyramid still stands facing north, with only a small margin of error. Nevertheless, the error occurred because the North Pole is gradually shifting, which means that the pyramid was once directed exactly to the north.
4. On average, the construction of each pyramid took 200 years. This means that often several were built, and not one pyramid. 3. One of the reasons why the pyramids survived so well is the unique cement mortar used in them. It is stronger than a real stone, but we still do not know how they prepared it.
2. Contrary to popular belief, pyramids most likely were not built by slaves or prisoners. They were built by ordinary workers who received wages.
1. Although many people associate the pyramids with hieroglyphs, no records or hieroglyphs were found in the Great Pyramid of Giza
