Top 10 Most Interesting Facts About the Great Pyramid of Giza

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 The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the most recognizable monuments in the world and has stood on the banks of the Nile River since around 2560 BC. For many, it’s an intriguing symbol of ancient history and architecture, but not many people are aware of the true mysteries that surround it... Let’s take a look at 10 strange facts about the Great Pyramid of Giza!

Why it was built

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Egyptians built pyramids to house their pharaohs, who they believed would need all their worldly goods with them in the afterlife. They needed perfect, stable structures to bury their kings and queens that would last through eternity. The pyramids were so impressive and unprecedented that they must have seemed like a good idea at first. Little did Egyptians know that no one knows for sure why they are there or how they were built (some think aliens helped).

The mystery behind its construction 

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It’s been nearly 4,500 years since a team of Egyptian architects constructed what was then considered to be one of mankind’s greatest achievements – and yet we still don’t have an exact explanation for how they did it. While modern-day engineers would never be able to replicate something as monumental as building a pyramid, at least not in today’s world, it doesn’t stop people from trying. In fact, there are plenty of groups that build replicas that are only slightly smaller than those found at Giza. They use precise measurements and materials in hopes that they might give us a glimpse into their construction methods.

Shocking Weight of pyramid

 Although it is less in height, The Great Pyramid of Giza weighs more than every other building on Earth. Approximately 5.9 million tons and the Burj khalifa weighs only about 0.5 million tons. No other structure has come even close to being built with such precision. Not to mention that all of its surfaces are perfectly smooth with an accuracy that cannot be imitated today. Therefore, some believe that it was not built by humans at all, but rather by extraterrestrials or divine beings with advanced technology.

Tunnels under the pyramid  

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A popular theory, which seems to make sense based on modern-day construction and architecture, is that Cheops was built with a system of underground chambers and tunnels. For example, Herodotus, a 5th-century Greek historian, wrote about how Cheops would never allow anyone to see what was inside his pyramid. This gives some credence to theories that massive amounts of treasure were hidden beneath its surface. Unfortunately for treasure hunters, attempts to discover an entrance have so far been unsuccessful. Maybe all those myths about curses are true after all...

The hidden chamber inside the pyramid   

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In 2015, a research team led by Kunihiro Morishima of Nagoya University in Japan announced that they'd discovered a void space inside Khufu's pyramid. They used cosmic-ray technology to study particle reactions within intact stones inside Khufu's pyramid; they found a 20-inch gap with differing densities, which could indicate another chamber hidden behind stone blocks on both sides. This was first discovered by Mehdi Tayoubi and ScanPyramids (nonprofit organization) using state-of-the-art muon radiography imaging techniques.

The Temperature inside the pyramid  

So, why is it so cold inside? Believe it or not, it’s all about science. Cool air sinks and there are more than 200 passages leading into and out of the pyramid; meaning many places for cool air to enter. Some folks have theorized that mirrors were placed inside during construction to reflect light in order to illuminate passageways with sunlight—which would be pretty darn incredible—but has never been proven. The reality is that no one really knows why it’s so cool in there, but researchers still have plenty to learn from studying its interior climate.

How many workers did it take to build this magnificent monument?  

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It's difficult to say exactly how many workers were employed on a daily basis when building The Great Pyramid, but estimates range from 2,000 to 20,000. But regardless of how many people were working at any given time, it took over 20 years for all those workers to complete construction on one side. It seems like a massive feat for less than 1,000 workers. Even more mind-boggling is the fact that all three sides of The Great Pyramid are perfectly aligned with North and South Poles—an incredible feat considering that there were no advanced surveying tools during its construction.

Why were there hieroglyphics found inside its chambers?  

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It’s believed that most of these hieroglyphics were put there by workers during construction. However, there are some theories that they might have been placed by a Pharaoh to protect his family while they were inside. It’s also said that other inscriptions could be things like stars, or even sky gods. The inscriptions found in various chambers still remain a mystery today.

The mysterious location of the pyramid  

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The pyramids at Giza are aligned with true north and south, as well as east and west. The arrangement of these directions in relation to one another is called a geometric formation is known as gnomonic projection. When looking at any object through gnomonic projection, you will see what appears to be four stars that mark specific points on Earth known as the four cardinal points. In reality, these stars are no different than any other star in our galaxy; however, by establishing such a pattern—what scientists refer to as a reference frame—they have created an arbitrary orientation point for determining not only true north and south but also east and west on Earth.

How deep are the holes on its stone walls?  

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One mystery that has long plagued archaeologists is that holes exist within some of these stones. How did they get there? For years, researchers said it was impossible to know exactly when these holes were drilled into place. But more recently, archaeologists discovered a perfectly round hole in one of the walls and used CT scanning technology to discover a cavity behind it where they found pieces from a jar believed to be from King Menkaure’s reign. We now know that stone workers would start drilling through each stone at a perpendicular angle, gradually moving closer and closer together until they could drill all the way through without breaking apart anything inside.