Interesting Facts about Pyramids:- A pyramid itself is quite an interesting giant structure gifted to us as a sign of care and dedication towards the dead by the prehistoric and historic civilizations. But it’s so mysterious, that every time you visit, you would come to know some more hidden facts about it. Therefore, do not be under the illusion that once you have visited, you completely know about them. And wait a minute! Even the experts are surprisingly facing more and more unknown information about these ancient memorials. Then, who are we to assure that we know all?
So, to add to your knowledge, I am dedicating this article to those top 10 fascinating facts about pyramids, which excited me.
Interesting Facts about Pyramids
1. Number of Pyramids in Egypt Alone
Can you guess this? I think your reply would be around 50, right? Oh! It’s time to face the real number that is 118 or it can be even more. We all are aware of the famous pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and even the extraordinary Step Pyramid at Saqqara, which was the first of its kind on Earth. But the counting doesn’t end here and that does not deny the presence of more pyramids.
So, now do go and explore the other less familiar pyramids such as the Amenemhat III’s Black Pyramid of Dashur seeming as the Ayer’s Rock and Sahure’s fine mausoleum in Abusir.
Read About
2. The 118th Pyramid
This is the 4,300-year-old tomb of the 6th Dynasty queen Sesheshet. The most popular archaeologist of Egypt named Zahi Hawass and his team found this so ancient tomb.
After an ardent hunt for two years continuously, they found the stunning Old Kingdom pyramid, which is the third secondary tomb of the Pharaoh Teti who was Sesheshet’s husband.
3. The Largest Pyramid on Earth – Khufu’s Great Pyramid
We all are aware of this fact. But do we know that it is the only existing monument known as the ancient wonder of the world? Not only this, one more fact is that it is the most ancient pyramid that dates back to 4,600 years ago. Further, take a look at some more hard-to-believe statistical facts.
The pyramid is made up of 2.3 million limestone blocks and overall its weight is 5.9 million tonnes. Last, but might not be least, until 1311, it was the tallest artificial monument on the planet after which the Lincoln Cathedral took that fame.
4. The Number of Workmen behind the Great Pyramid
As per the Greek historian Herodotus who lived until 2000 years after this pyramid was built, the architectural marvel required some 1,00,000 workers. This is stunning because the number surpassed the total population of the largest cities on Earth in those days. Alas! Many experts thought that the historian was too electrified to say that number.
As per the current experts, the number is around 20,000, which does reduce the shock of the aforesaid, but still maintains it as even this is a large number.
5. Tombs of Builders?
Even I was not aware of this. This had become evident when an American visitor in 1990 fell from her horse in the Giza necropolis. This was the result of a stone on which the horse slipped, which was actually the apex of a vast necropolis of the builders. This was revealed again by the intelligent Zahi Hawass’ team that successfully found more than 600 tombs out of which the ‘egg dome’ tomb is the famous one.
6. Have you Heard of the Bent Pyramid?
This is one of the three pyramids of King Sneferu at the Dashur necropolis. It is so named because it considerably leans from halfway up with an angle of a lower degree. This unique pyramid of its kind is a sight to behold with its unusual shape.
As per the experts, this must have been done to prevent the weakening of the structure due to the former angle, while some say that it is the result of hastiness due to the death of Sneferu coming near.
7. The Spread of Building the Pyramids
In those ancient days, the pyramid buildings spread their wings southwards later.
If you do not believe, move to Meroe, the capital of Kushite along the Nile 100 miles from Khartoum in Sudan. This is where you will find an appealing system of sheer pyramids erected between the 4th century BC and 3rd century AD. This region’s kings controlled Egypt in its 25th Dynasty.
8. Pyramids in America?
Yes, this is true! In Central America, the step pyramids of the Mayas are really spectacular in structure and sight. Not only this but also as per the current finding, research is going on in Bosnia to know about the mysterious Valley of the Pyramids. If this is true, the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun is then the largest pyramid of the ancient world bypassing the Khufu’s pyramid.
9. Robots in Discovering the Pyramids
Oh! This is awesome. Robots have already landed in Egypt in the Giza necropolis. A Robot from Japan is already doing its job to find about the Osiris shaft beneath the Khafre’s pyramid, while a University of Leeds-developed ‘RoboScarab’ is ready to discover the Great Pyramid’s secret passages. So, now there is no need to make yourself dirty to dig out these giants.
10. Time Taken to Build
True or False: It takes some 10 years to build one pyramid. Your answer? Well, my answer is false. This is because it takes almost double the time some 20 years to build one such giant structure only of limestone. Yes, only from limestone!
Do you have some more to share besides these top 10 fascinating facts about pyramids? Please feel free to do so.