THE GHOSTS AND MYSTERY OF PHARAOH KHUFUS PYRAMID AND THE GIZA NECROPOLIS There has always been a great deal of mystery surrounding the Giza Pyramids. Who made them and why and how were they constructed? Why do they align with the stars in Orion’s Belt? What is the curse that descends upon anyone who disturbs the Pharaohs who are buried inside and nearby the pyramids? But, did you know that the pyramids are also haunted? Howard Carter was an archeologist and Egyptologist who was born in England in 1874. He was best known as being the man who discovered the tomb of King Tut—the 14th century Egyptian boy pharaoh, Tutankhamen. The tomb was said to be cursed, and that anyone who disturbed it would die a horrible death. Many of the people who were with Carter when the tomb was opened did indeed die from bizarre circumstances, but not Carter. He died peacefully many years after the tomb had been opened at the age of sixty-four in 1939. Historians believe Carter evaded the curse, but perhaps he didn’t. Several employees and visitors at the pyramid site have reported seeing a man dressed in 19th century attire roaming around the pyramids. Some reported sightings also include two small children with the man. The witnesses say that he seems to be searching for something . . . possibly another tomb. Mysterious orb figures have also been seen. The figures seem to be in the shape of a pharaoh and they come from the pyramids and head south toward the Valley of the Kings. These sightings could be connected to stories of the ghost of Pharaoh Khufu, who is believed to come out of his pyramid at midnight dressed in traditional Egyptian Armor. Local residents report seeing the former Egyptian king in their homes. The ancient specter tells them to “get out” before he vanishes. Maybe the pharaoh doesn’t like seeing modern housing developments built so close to his tomb and “scared ground.” There is no doubt that the site of the Giza Pyramids is a mysterious place. It is also not surprising that the area is haunted by beings with a strong connection to the location. Great Pyramid of Giza The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. Originally 480 feet tall, it has lost about 25 feet of its height due to erosion. The Giza Pyramid stands as a symbol of Africas best civilization situated not far away from Cairo, Egypt. This pyramid is also called Pyramid of the Cheops or the Pyramid of the Khufu. Unsolved Mysteries and amazing facts about the Giza Pyramid: Planning: Interestingly, if you divide the circumference of the pyramid by twice the height of the Pyramid, the value is pi (π) , accurate to the last decimal digit. Yet the value of π would only come to discovery after some 2000 years later. How did the architect Hemon get such advanced mathematical and architectural knowledge? Transportation: Its 2,300,000 stones sit on a base covering 5.3 hectares - about 230 metres long on each side. All historians agree that the use of wheel was not known to ancient Egyptians. How could they have transported 2.3 million blocks of limestone blocks each weighing 1 ton? Construction: Historians agree that the Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed in 20 years. To build this pyramid in 20 years, the workers would have to lay 800 tonnes of stone everyday, placing more than 12 blocks every hour, working round the clock without any break. How was this possible? The pyramids internal construction is truly breathtaking with enormous complicated work like The Grand Gallery, The Kings Chamber and the Queens Chamber. Oil lamps do not seem to working as there is not enough oxygen inside the pyramid to support the burning flames. Another theory that they used numerous copper plates (mirrors were not invented at that time, either) does not hold well, as experiments have proved it inefficient. How did they have light, especially if they had to work day and night ceaselessly? Were they using electric bulbs? Not far from here, at the temple of Hathor at Dendera, you can find some reliefs that resemble very closely of a modern electric bulb. The picture of the relief not only shows the bulb and the filament inside it, but also shows a long wire connected to the base of the bulb. What was the construction technique used to build the pyramid from bottom to top? Without any modern day machinery and relying on simple tools, how did the proceed to build it with such a great precision. Many theories including a spiral ramp around the pyramid have been posed without any success. Precision: The sides of the square base align with the four points of the compass based on true north. The margin of error is only about 12 seconds of the arc. Yet, the compass was invented only 2000 years after the construction of the Giza Pyramid. How could the ancient Egyptians build the pyramid with such a precision 4600 years ago? Inside the Giza Pyramid: The Pyramid is not just a solid structure assembled with stones. The primary purpose of the pyramid was to protect King Khufus mummy with his entourage so he could reincarnate back to his own body. Inside the pyramid is a well planned construction of rooms and passages. It is believed that still many hidden rooms exist in the pyramid waiting to be discovered. Inside the pyramid, there are three important areas: The Kings Chamber, The Grand Gallery and the Queens Chamber. Visitors are given access to the inside of the pyramid and are allowed to see most areas. It is a shame that some people have carved their names both on the outside and on the inside of the Pyramid walls. Below, you can see tourists walking towards the entrance to the Pyramid. The Kings Chamber: The Kings Chamber is entirely finished with granite, and it is placed higher than the Queens Chamber and at the end of the Grand Gallery. The only thing present in this chamber is a granite Sarcophagus with rough edges. Historians suggest that the original sarcophagus was lost during transportation and this is hurriedly-made replacement. The Grand Gallery: The grand gallery is a passage that connects the Kings Chamber and the Queens Chamber. It also connects the ascending passage and the well shaft to the underground chamber below the pyramid. The grand gallery has a high tapering ceiling and the exact design remained a mystery until a few years ago. Recently, a french architect explained that the grand gallery was key to the construction of the pyramid itself, as the Egyptians used an internal ramp system to build the pyramid. The Queens Chamber: The Queens Chamber is situated at a lower level to the Kings Chamber. Even though it is called the Queens Chamber, it is believed that it never actually was constructed for the queen. On the east wall of the Queens Chamber, you can see a large niche which must have once held the Kings statue in place. It must have been looted by robbers later. Other structures of the Giza Necropolis: There are three other structures besides the Giza pyramid in this area. They are: The Great Sphinx Of Giza: The Sphinx is the largest structure ever made of a single rock, standing 66 feet high, 240 feet long and 20 feet wide. With the head of a human being and the body of a lion, the sphinx has undergone a lot of rough weather conditions. It has been buried in sand completely many times, only to reveal itself back after more windstorm. There is certainly some erosion you can see. The original nose about 3 feet wide is gone, even though some historians say this was due to vandalism by an Arab warlord. A chapel is found between its front paws. The beard of the sphinx is broken and it is now held at the Cairo Museum. Khafre’s pyramid complex: This pyramid was build for the King Khafre, sometimes known as King Chefren. It is the second largest pyramid. This pyramid is constructed much steeper than the others and also appears to be much more taller as it sits on a high bedrock. This pyramid also has an interior burial chamber. Menkaure’s pyramid complex: The Menkaures pyramid complex consists of a Valley Temple, A mortuary Temple and the Kings Pyramid. This is the smallest of the three pyramids and built for the King Menkaure. This pyramid has an interesting history behind its Construction attempted demolition. Al-Malik Al-Aziz Osman bin Salahadin Yusuf, a twelfth century ruler tried to demolish all the pyramids, starting with Menkaures pyramid. It was a Himalayan task and it was not possible to remove more than two stones a day. The ruler gave up in frustration after a while leaving a small gash on the face of the pyramid.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 10:29:53 +0000
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