There’s a lot we don’t know about the ancient Egyptian pyramids. For starters, we have no idea how they managed to move and assemble those massive blocks which make up the pyramids, nor do we know what or how to reproduce the incredibly strong mortar that they used. Here are some cool facts we do know:
1. Originally the pyramids were covered in limestone, making them shine brightly, possibly powerfully enough to be visible from the moon. This is perhaps why ancient Egyptians called the Great Pyramid Ikhet, translating to “Glorious Light”.
2. The Great Pyramid of Giza is estimated to contain 2,300,000 stone blocks. Each block weighs anywhere between 2 – 30+ tons.
3. The Giza pyramids (there are three) are aligned precisely with the Constellation of Orion, which was associated with Osiris, the god of the afterlife, by Ancient Egyptians.
4. Although typically we’ve thought of slaves building these monuments, they were probably built by paid workers. Archaeological evidence suggests that Egyptians used slaves for field work and domestic help, and possibly paid their pyramid workers with food and beer.
5. There are no hieroglyphics found in the Great Pyramid of Giza.
6. The Great Pyramid is located at the center of Earth’s land and faces true north. It is the most accurately aligned structure on the planet.
7. Inside the pyramids is consistently cool temperature, despite the horrendous heat outside.
8. There are over 130 pyramids in Egypt, the oldest being over 4,500 years old.
9. Three of the pyramids, including the Great Pyramid, had swivel doors. The swivel door for the Great Pyramid weighed 20 tons, and could easily be opened from the inside without being detectable from the outside.
10. Each pyramid probably took about 200 years to build.
