Curiosmos
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists
No Result
View All Result
Like us on Facebook
Curiosmos
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists
No Result
View All Result
Curiosmos
No Result
View All Result

Did The Great Pyramid Shine “Like a Star” 4,500 Years Ago?

Ivan PetricevicbyIvan Petricevic
November 14, 2022 - Updated on January 20, 2024
in Ancient Civilizations
A photograph of the Great Pyramid at sunrise. Shutterstock_

A photograph of the Great Pyramid at sunrise. Shutterstock_

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

If you ask an Egyptologist about the Pyramids of Giza, their history, meaning, and purpose, the answer is straightforward. The pyramids were built as ancient tombs for the deceased Pharaohs. In fact, the Great Pyramid of Giza specifically is believed to represent the culmination effort of the pyramid builders. It is the greatest ever built in Egypt. As Egyptologist Ahmed Fakhry puts it, not only is the Great Pyramid the largest monument of its kind ever built. But for the excellence of workmanship, accuracy, and beauty, it is the chief of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The pyramid has been studied throughout th years. In fact, egyptologists have studied it for over one hundred years. Despite this, many mysteries remain. One of the greatest, personally, is why there are no blueprints or texts mentioning its construction.

There is nothing dating back from the Fourth Dynasty that mentions its construction.

An enigma

You would think that building such a massive structure would have required many blueprints. We know it required a massive workforce. It required extraordinary planning. It was a behemoth effort. Not only the transportation of some of the most massive stones but the effort of placing them as the pyramid grew. Not one archeologist has the definitive answer as to how this was done. In fact, attempts to replicate the pyramid’s construction, albeit in a smaller dimension, in modern times failed. It remains a complete mystery how, for example. the ancient Egyptians transported some of the most massive stones from Aswan. Aswan was an Ancient Egyptian quarry. It produced some of the most massive stones for the construction of the pyramid. Interestingly, Aswan is located some 800 kilometers away from the construction site of the pyramid. Egyptologists say that the massive stones were transported via boat.

Massive stones

A majority of the blocks for the construction came from the Giza Plateau, but others were imported by boat down the Nile. The casing is made of white limestone from Tura, while the structure of the King’s Chamber is made of granite blocks from Aswan weighing up to 80 tonnes each. What is perhaps the most fascinating thing about the pyramid is the number of stones it features. A total of 2.3 million blocks are believed to make up the Great Pyramid. The construction involved 5.5 million tonnes of limestone, 8,000 tonnes of granite, and 500,000 tonnes of mortar. How this was sourced, transported, and placed atop the pyramid remains a mystery. Egyptologists theorize it was via massive, wooden ramps that the Egyptians managed it. Since there are no written accounts of it, we cannot say for sure.

Related Posts

A collage showing prominent historical figures and the Rosetta Stone

The Stone That Revealed Ancient Egypt’s Treasures

April 12, 2023 - Updated on January 20, 2024
Unveiling the Secrets of 12,000-Year-Old Karahan Tepe: The Remarkable Counterpart to Göbekli Tepe

Unveiling the Secrets of 12,000-Year-Old Karahan Tepe: The Remarkable Counterpart to Göbekli Tepe

August 31, 2024

What the pyramids looked like

What the pyramid looked like more than 4,500 years ago is another mystery. Since there are no accounts of the initial construction describing the pyramids, we cannot know what their appearance was like. We can theorize, however. We can imagine what the massive structures looked like. By their sheer size, we can probably imagine that the pyramids were stunningly decorated. Some accounts, long after the pyramids were built, suggest that the Great Pyramid, for example, shone like a star as sunlight reflected off its polished surface. Additionally, some stories even suggest that the Great Pyramid shone so brightly that it was visible from miles away. I would love to have a time machine and travel back in time to see what the pyramids looked like when they were completed.

Since I cannot, this stunning video will do just fine. It illustrates, in theory, what the Giza plateau and its pyramid may have looked like some 4,500 years ago. Also, here is an illustration from Harvard.

Have something to add? Visit Curiosmos on Facebook. Join the discussion in our mobile Telegram group. 

Share157Tweet98Share27ShareSend
Ivan Petricevic

Ivan Petricevic

I've been writing passionately about ancient civilizations, history, alien life, and various other subjects for more than eight years. You may have seen me appear on Discovery Channel's What On Earth series, History Channel's Ancient Aliens, and Gaia's Ancient Civilizations among others.

Related Posts

The Ancient Olmec Incorporated Magnetism in their Statues, and Made Use of Magnetic Anomalies
Ancient Civilizations

The Ancient Olmec Incorporated Magnetism in their Statues, and Made Use of Magnetic Anomalies

May 5, 2019 - Updated on January 22, 2024
Kheops Cambell's Chamber.
Ancient Civilizations

12 Astounding Images From the Inside of the Great Pyramid You Should See

June 28, 2019 - Updated on January 31, 2022
An image of the Pyramids at Giza taken by the ESA’s Proba-1 minisatellite. Image Credit: ESA.
Ancient Civilizations

Here’s What the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids Look Like From Space

September 18, 2019 - Updated on February 4, 2025
The Casas Grandes complex reveals a forgotten desert civilization that bridged ancient Mexico and the American Southwest
Ancient Civilizations

The Casas Grandes complex reveals a forgotten desert civilization that bridged ancient Mexico and the American Southwest

March 2, 2019 - Updated on April 18, 2025
Queen Victoria's pyramid for Prince Albert on the Balmoral Estate, Ballanter, Scotland. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Ancient Civilizations

Here’s What you Need to Know About the Pyramid in Scotland

September 20, 2022 - Updated on January 21, 2024
The interior of the Great Pyramid. Shutterstock.
Ancient Civilizations

This is the Real Reason Why the Ancient Egyptians Built Fake Doors Inside Pyramids

May 27, 2019 - Updated on January 22, 2024
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Fair Use Notice
  • DMCA / Removal
  • Impressum
  • Contact
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Ethics Policy
  • Ownership and Funding Information
  • Impressum
CURIOSMOS.COM

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists