Facts About Egyptian Pyramids You May Not Know

Pyramids are masonry structures that are constructed with carved stones/bricks, having a rectangular base and four sloping triangular or trapezoidal sides meeting at an apex.

They are found in many countries in the world including Sudan, Italy, Iraq, and Mexico. Of all these countries, however, Egypt has the most pyramids, with at least 118 identified structures in the country. Most of these pyramids were built as tombs for the Pharaohs in Egypt and their partners during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.

Over time, however, archaeologists have discovered that there is more to these pyramids than just being tombs for Pharaohs. In this article, we will highlight 10 interesting facts about Egyptian Pyramids you may not know. Let’s get right into it.

10. Egyptian Pyramids Were Built to Preserve the Dead

The Egyptians were one of the first set of people to believe in the afterlife. They believe that a person, when he dies, is still living a second life and deserves to be comfortable. This belief system is seen in their festivities where they give food and other offerings to the dead. Some people consider it one of the strangest cultural traditions in the world. 

As a result of this belief, pyramids were built to serve as homes to the tomb of the great Pharaohs. The tombs were often decorated as a home with their most prized possessions. Gold, Silver, and the likes adorned the tombs to further aid the comfortability of the dead in the afterlife. This however attracted tomb raiders and still attracts them to date.

It is however interesting that Egyptians would spend so much to preserve the bodies (or lives) of their Pharaohs.

9. The Pyramids Were not Built by Slaves

Contrary to popular belief, the Egyptian pyramids were not built by slaves but by willing men who saw it as a privilege to do so. These men were well fed and taken care of. This is in contrast to the belief that slaves were forced to build the pyramids.

This new discovery is attributed to the archaeologist, Mark Lehner who dug deep into the research. He discovered that ordinary slaves who were barely fed could not have moved such heavy stones into place. He also discovered that the men who built the pyramids saw it as a privilege to do so since they also had the honor of being buried in tombs close to the pyramids upon their death.

8. Secret Doors Exist in the Pyramids

Another interesting fact about the Egyptian Pyramids is that they have secret doors that were not discovered for so many years. The Great Pyramid has three major rooms: the Queen’s Chamber, the Grand Gallery, and the King’s Chamber. Recently though, Egyptologists have discovered tunnels that extend from the north and south walls of the Queen’s Chamber. These tunnels however stop dead at stone doors with copper handles.

Despite the much research done over the years about the Egyptian pyramids, these doors were not discovered. The recent discovery was achieved using robots. The doors are believed to lead to a secret chamber.

7. The Pyramid Doors Weighed up to 20 Tonnes

One of the top interesting facts about Egyptian Pyramids is that the stones used to build them were very heavy and the doors were equally weighty. The doors weighed up to 20 tonnes and this made them very difficult to open. In fact, they were not identified as doors for many years until scientists made the discovery.

One intriguing fact about the doors, however, is that they had a very strange feature of being easy to open from the inside with just one hand but extremely difficult to open from the outside. Scientists also discovered that the doors had beat the expectations of many as they were huge swivel doors. It is, however, still a mystery how the Egyptians were able to balance the weight of the door to create the effect.

6. The Pyramids of Giza are Quite Spectacular

The Pyramids of Giza are very popular Pyramids in Egypt. They are one of the largest pyramids built in ancient Egypt between 2600 and 2500 BC. The Pyramids of Giza are spectacular for so many things. First, they are one of the seven wonders of the world. Of all the seven wonders, they are the most ancient and the only ones still in existence.

The Pyramids of Giza consist of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure with their associated pyramid complexes and the Great Sphinx of Giza. Another spectacular fact about the Great Pyramid of Giza is that it is 481 feet tall. It was the tallest building in the world for 3,800 years. It wasn’t until 1311 when The Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln, England became the first building to surpass its height.

5. The Pyramids Were Robbed of their Treasure before 1000 BC

As earlier mentioned, Pharaohs loved to be buried with their treasures and this attracted a lot of raiders. The structure of the Pyramids was in such a way that it was difficult to break in. This is because of the kind of mortar they used for its construction. To date, scientists have not been able to fathom the kind of mortar used for the construction of the Pyramids and the technology used to cut the stones.

Despite the strength of the bricks, however, raiders have successfully robbed the tombs of their treasures. It is also alleged that rulers of other kingdoms took treasures from these pyramids back to their kingdoms.

4. The Stones Are Heavier than Elephants

The stones used for building the pyramids were about 10 tonnes each, heavier than an elephant which weighs at most, 7 tonnes. It is still a wonder to scientists, how the stones were lifted up to the height of the pyramids.

The stones on the pyramids were placed with precision, rising to about 203 steps, and are still standing strong to date. Scientists are, however, still in the process of researching the technology of stone placement.

3. Construction Materials May Have Been Made From Precious Stones

It is believed that the tools used for the construction of the pyramids were made from jewels. Pharoah Khafre’s sarcophagus, for example, is made from Black granite and its carving and shaping required great skill and special tools. Some scientists have speculations that the ancient Egyptians used saws that have cutting points made from jewels like beryl, topaz, chrysoberyl, corundum, or sapphire. Most of the tools are however most likely made of bronze.

2. The Building of the Egyptian Pyramids is Still a Mystery To Date

This is yet another one of the top facts about the Egyptian Pyramids. Despite the many discoveries surrounding them, scientists are still unable to uncover how exactly the pyramids were built.

Although there are speculations and guesses, these often lead to just another dead end.

1. The Pyramids Would Cost Around $1 Billion To Build Today

According to estimates by architectural experts, it would cost a little over $1 billion to build a structure similar to the Egyptian Pyramids today. The number of workers required, the cost of building materials, the equipment needed, and so on, would cost that much.

$1 billion sounds like such a huge and impossible amount considering that those who have that amount of net worth would have all their fortune taken away just to build a pyramid. However, the Burj Khalifa which is the world’s tallest building was completed at a cost of $1.5 billion in 2009.

According to the estimate, the cost of limestone needed for the construction of the Pyramids may have cost up to $776 million, plant hire, wages, travel time, etc leading to an estimated $102 million extra.

Facts About Egyptian Pyramids (Summary)

The Egyptian Pyramids remain one of the wonders of the world today and a source of confusion for many scientists who are still trying to fathom how they were built. However, the aforementioned facts are things that have already been discovered and you probably didn’t know.

Here’s a highlight of the 10 facts about Egyptian Pyramids.

1. The Pyramids Would Cost Around $1 Billion To Build Today.
2. The Building of the Egyptian Pyramids is Still a Mystery To Date
3. Construction Materials May Have Been Made From Precious Stones
4. The Stones are Heavier than Elephants.
5. The Pyramids Were Robbed of their Treasure before 1000 BC
6. The Pyramids of Giza are Quite Spectacular
7. The Pyramid Doors Weighed up to 20 Tonnes
8. Secret Doors Exist in the Pyramids
9. The Pyramids Were not Built by Slaves
10. Egyptian Pyramids Were Built to Preserve the Dead