The 5 Most Mysterious Pyramids
Pyramids are the most iconic symbol of ancient Egypt and one of the first things that pop
into our heads when we even think of Egypt. Some Egyptian pyramids have some secrets behind them,
and in this video, we’ll be going through the top 5 most mysterious pyramids ever found in Egypt:
5. Pyramid of Djoser
The Great Pyramid of Giza was the most remarkable structure ever made in ancient Egypt,
but one thing that many people don’t know is that it wasn’t the oldest pyramid ever built in Egypt.
That title goes to the Pyramid of Djoser located in the ruins of Saqqara. Saqqara is an ancient
necropolis located some 20 miles away from Giza, and it used to be the burial site of numerous
ancient kings and queens during the Old Kingdom Era. Saqqara is named after an ancient Egyptian
funerary deity known as Saker, and he is thought to be the god that overlooked this necropolis.
The Pyramid of Djoser was built to house king Djoser, the founder of the third Egyptian dynasty
during the Old Kingdom. Initially, Djoser’s body was placed inside of a traditional square mastaba,
which was how the Egyptian elite was buried before the advent of pyramids,
however, owing to Djoser’s significance during that period,
some of his successors thought they deserved something grander. Thus, after the initial
layer of the mastaba, they built another mastaba on top of it to give it more height,
although this mastaba was slightly smaller than the original one. Later, they added more and more
mastaba layers, each of which was smaller than the other but around the same height,
and what was initially just one “mastaba” had turned into Egypt’s first-ever pyramid.
This is a step pyramid, which is quite different from a regular pyramid and much easier to build,
but it set a precedent for future pyramids to come,
and the kings knew that their status was now defined by how tall their pyramids were. Step
pyramids would also later be built in numerous regions around the world, unrelated to Egypt,
but the ancient Egyptians are thought to have done it before any other kingdom or civilization.
4. Pyramid of Menkaure
You’ve probably never heard of the name of the Pyramid of Menkaure, but you’ve certainly
seen it in pictures before. This is one of the pyramids located in the Giza pyramid complex,
and the Pyramid of Menkaure is the smallest of those pyramids.
While it’s not known for certain who this pyramid was built for, the most likely candidate is
Menkaure, a pharaoh from the fourth dynasty, which is why the pyramid is named after him.
It was completed in the 25th or 26th century BCE at a height of 65 meters. 65 meters is
pretty staggering for a pyramid anywhere in the world, but that height is absolutely dwarfed by
the sibling pyramids that stand right next to it, making it not as well known to the general public.
In the early 1800s, archeologists who had made their way inside the pyramid found what seemed
to be Menkaure’s burial site. They found a sarcophagus bearing his name along with human
bones and other remains. While they were quick to confirm this pyramid as his, it was later
revealed that it was just a substitute coffin that was placed in the pyramid about 1500 years
after it was built. The true origins of this pyramid might just never be revealed to us.
One thing people do always notice about this pyramid is the damage to it. On one side of the
pyramid, you can very clearly see the aftermath of something that has impacted the pyramid right at
its center. This is because, in 1196, the Sultan of Egypt had become enraged that the locals were
still worshipping certain ancient Egyptian deities at the pyramid, which is why he ordered their
destruction. They decided to begin with this one, as it was the smallest and would be the easiest to
destroy, but it was a much more challenging task than they would’ve ever thought. They used every
tool they had but weren’t able to remove more than one block a day. Eventually, they called
off on the destruction, as it was too difficult, and banned people from entering the site instead.
3. Bent Pyramid
About 20 miles south of Cairo is another royal Egyptian necropolis known as Dahshur.
Dahshur is the site with the most pyramids outside of the Giza complex, including the
Red Pyramid and the Black Pyramid. There are about 5 different pyramids located in Dahshur,
and they are some of the largest, best-preserved, and most well-known pyramids in the world.
But perhaps, the most well-known pyramid to come out of this necropolis is the Bent Pyramid.
The Bent Pyramid is unlike any other pyramid on earth. It doesn’t follow a cone structure nor
does it follow a step structure. Instead of those, it seems to follow this strange bent structure.
It starts out as a regular pyramid, like the ones you’d see in Giza, but after the pyramid
reaches its halfway point at about 47 meters, it has a notable inward bent to it until it
reaches the very top. Overall, the pyramid is around 104 meters in height, making it one of
the tallest pyramids ever found. It’s also one of the most well-preserved pyramids ever found.
If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that this pyramid has an almost
white external shell that surrounds it, although it’s wearing off due to the impact of time.
It’s believed that all of the pyramids that are located in Giza once also have this outer
shell. This shell is made out of a special type of limestone, one that glows when the
sun reflects on it, making it seem almost as if it’s a diamond in the middle of a desert.
2. The Great Pyramid of Giza
A video like this would not be complete without the pyramid that put Egypt on the map.
The Great Pyramid of Giza is also known as the Khufu pyramid, since this is where King Khufu
was also put to rest. It’s located in the Giza necropolis right next to Cairo, which is now
Egypt’s largest city, although back then, there were barely any people who lived around this area.
The Khufu pyramid was the first of the three pyramids that would eventually be built in the
complex, along with the iconic Sphinx, although historians can’t seem to agree whether the Sphinx
or the Pyramid was built first. Nonetheless, it was decided that Khufu’s resting place would have
to become something that would far outshine any structure that the world had seen before, and we
don’t even need to tell you whether that ended up happening or not. The Great Pyramid of Giza ended
up becoming the largest and tallest building on earth, with its height of over 150 meters
remaining at the top of the tallest building list for another 2500 years after its construction.
The construction of this pyramid was an engineering marvel. Each block
weighed over 2.5 tons, and in total, over 2.3 million blocks were used in its construction.
What’s even crazier is that this structure was built without any slaves or forced labor. The
laborers were paid workers who were treated with dignity and even given entire cities to live in.
One of the strangest things about this pyramid is perhaps the giant empty chamber that’s
located in the center of it. The chamber is inaccessible, and no one quite knows
why it was built or what it’s meant to signify. Whatever it is, it’s best we let it stay closed
because if there’s one thing we don’t need in the world right now, it’s a global curse.
1. Pyramid of Hawara
We often think of the Giza pyramid as the best Egypt could possibly have to offer, but ancient
Egyptians might just disagree with that notion. According to a lot of documents, both from ancient
Egyptians themselves as well as visitors who witnessed the ancient civilization, the most
notable structure built by the ancient Egyptians was the Pyramid-Labyrinth complex at Hawara.
Built by Amenemhat III, this complex was the most visited site in ancient Egypt,
attracting pilgrims and even tourists from all over the civilization.
This pyramid overlooked a massive labyrinth that contained over 2500 unique rooms,
each of which was lavishly decorated and contained some priceless artifacts.
While this labyrinth has been mentioned numerous times before, it was usually thought to have been
a myth. However, in more recent years, scans have been done in the area around the pyramid showing
clear signs of a massive structure underneath. Archeologists are convinced that this is the
long-lost labyrinth they were looking for, but as of now, no excavations have taken place.
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