The mystery of the Cheops pyramid is revealed. The unsolved mysteries of the Cheops pyramid

How much our civilization goes around the bush Egyptian pyramids, and if the number of riddles decreases, then very slowly. Somehow we even argued with you, and not, then we tried to find out and in general

And right these days in Egypt, a large-scale project is underway to study the pyramids. An international group of scientists managed to make a discovery that puts an end to the dispute about the methods of building the Cheops pyramid.

The history of the study of the Great Pyramid of Giza, or the Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu), began in the 18th century, when Napoleon brought here archaeologists, surveyors and other scientists. Research continues to this day, but this monument of architectural art Ancient egypt has not yet revealed all his secrets. In particular, it is not known exactly when its construction began: the radiocarbon method gives a range from 2680 BC. NS. to 2850 BC NS. Another mystery was the methods of transporting the heaviest blocks over great distances.

Different construction techniques were used for different Egyptian pyramids. Earlier, in one of the necropolises, a fresco from the XII dynasty was discovered, which depicts 172 people pulling an alabaster statue of Jehutihotep II on a sled. The worker pours water on the sand along the way, which makes sliding easier.

Some pyramids were built by rolling blocks using a cradle mechanism: similar devices were found during excavations of various sanctuaries of the New Kingdom. In addition, the so-called "square wheel technology" was used in some places: a block of square cross section rolls along a road created from platforms.

In 1997, archaeologist Mark Lehner carried out the experimental construction of a small pyramid with a base width of about nine meters and a height of 6.1 meters. Blocks weighing about two tons were moved by the forces of 12-20 people, provided that wooden runners were used, sliding along the wooden flooring.

But all the experiments and hypotheses did not answer the question of the delivery of 2.5-ton blocks of limestone and granite to the site where the Cheops pyramid was erected. The answer was only found in 2017: international group archaeologists led by Lehner discovered a papyrus in which a supervisor over 40 workers describes this method.

Deciphering the text gave the following knowledge: first, the Egyptians diverted water from the Nile and built artificial canals across the Giza plateau. Then the builders connected wooden boats with ropes, and with their help they transported the blocks almost to the very foot of the pyramid.

But another riddle was revealed at the Cheops pyramid. Infrared thermography showed unexplained voids at the base of the Great Pyramid.

Scientists at different times of the day measured the temperature of the stones from which the pyramid was erected. The stones heated up and cooled down at different rates, which indicates the presence of external factors. In general, the difference in temperatures for neighboring stones did not exceed 0.1-0.5 ° C, but in some areas this parameter reached 6 ° C. The most noticeable temperature anomaly is found on the eastern side of the Cheops pyramid, at ground level.

It can be assumed that there is an underground passage or other empty space. It is also possible that this part of the pyramid was built from a different material. Eastern location voids can be associated with the cult of Ra - the sun god. Meanwhile, areas with different temperatures were also found in the upper part of the pyramid - where there can be no talk of dungeons. Representatives of the Ministry of Antiquities refused to voice any hypotheses until more material was collected.

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At least, this is what archaeologists say, who not so long ago discovered a unique scroll of ancient papyrus, which told scientists how one of the greatest pyramids in the world, Cheops, was built.

Scientists have translated the text of the papyrus into modern language and learned that at that distant time for the construction of such a grandiose structure, granite and lime blocks weighing up to two and a half tons were used. They had to be transported to Giza at a distance of eight hundred kilometers, as the Egyptologists had previously assumed, since granite could only be mined in Asuna, and the lime could be brought only from Tura. Until now, researchers of the ancient Egyptian pyramids could not come to an understanding of how the people of the Bronze Age managed to move such huge weights over such long distances.

The papyrus says that the blocks were transported in special wooden boats (see the photo below with the reconstruction of such a boat), connected with ropes that moved along a system of artificial canals.

Here is what the head of the archaeological expedition, which was lucky enough to find this papyrus, Mark Lenner, says about this:

We have now identified the central channel basin, which appears to be the block delivery area at the foot of the plateau where the Great Pyramid now stands. The channel system itself is yet to be understood and calculated. The fantastic ingenuity of the ancient Egyptians is striking, who, having no modern technology however, they found a way to move heavy blocks over great distances. Surely they also had the same inventive devices for building a pyramid from these heavy blocks. Unfortunately, the found papyrus does not say anything about this, since this document was drawn up by a person who was engaged in transportation ...

An ancient papyrus scroll was found in seaport Wadi al-Jarf. In it, an overseer after Merer, who led a team of forty workers, describes a unique technology for delivering blocks. His team took part in transforming the landscape, and also opened dams to fill artificial canals with water as needed.

For two hundred years, scientists have been studying the Cheops pyramid. During this time, they used different methods of analysis, launched special robots into the middle of the pyramid, and carried out a variety of measurements. It seemed that for such a period of time the pyramid should have already revealed all its secrets, but the next discovery shocked even seasoned researchers.

Mysteries of the Cheops pyramid

One of the Seven Wonders of the World has been a subject of study for over 200 years. At the same time, the next study reveals a new mystery and leads to the emergence of more and more new questions.

The exact date of the construction of the pyramid is unknown, since the radiocarbon method used to study the age of the pyramid allows us to assume only an approximate date: from 2680 BC. NS. to 2850 BC NS. The initiator of the construction was the pharaoh Khufu (Cheops), and the pyramid itself for a long time was the most tall building in the world. However, even today its dimensions remain very impressive, especially if we take into account the time at which the construction was carried out. In fact, all work was carried out manually or using simple mechanisms.

In 2017, a papyrus was discovered describing a method for transporting huge blocks. In order to deliver them to the foot of the pyramid, the Egyptians had to divert water from the Nile by laying artificial canals across the Giza plateau. It was along them on wooden boats, connected by ropes, that the blocks were transported to the construction site.

The Pyramid of Cheops is the only one where there are corridors leading both up and down. The main one goes down at first, then diverges into two more, one of which goes down, and the second one can go up to the Great Gallery. Already along the gallery you can go to the Queen's Room and, directly to the tomb itself. The tunnel leading downward is the entrance to the unfinished burial chamber. The fact that the tomb, intended for the burial of the pharaoh, was actually empty, remains a mystery.

Already in the 21st century, researchers of the pyramids discovered voids in the mysterious structures. It turned out that in addition to the three main chambers located inside the pyramids, there are additional rooms.
They tried to investigate different methods, including with the help of robots, but the purpose of the fourth room, discovered by scientists, is still unknown.

It is noteworthy that in the walls of the main corridor, through which you can get to the Main Tomb, there are rather unusual channels. Researchers are inclined to believe that these channels are elements of some kind of large security system that serves to protect the pharaoh from marauders and desecrators.

New discoveries

One of the three chambers, believed to be a funeral chamber, is actually a mysterious trap designed to protect the pyramid from marauders. However, even the corridor leading to the Main Tomb can be deadly.

Researchers of the pyramids still try to unravel all the secrets of the amazing structure. Recently, scientists have begun to use special muon scanners to detect unopened chambers inside the pyramid. In parallel, the resonating properties of the waves were studied. It was assumed that the pyramid could be a giant resonator capable of focusing and amplifying waves.

Physicists used a computer model of the pyramid, subjecting it to powerful radio waves. The results of this experiment turned out to be quite impressive. It turned out that the pyramid actually has the property of accumulating waves, interacting with them.
Initially, there is an accumulation of energy inside the Royal Chamber. Then a powerful stream is directed downward, in fact, into a deception chamber, which is located at the very bottom, in the area of ​​the foundation. At the same time, the greatest effect was obtained when using waves of 333 and 230 meters.
The researchers intend to continue their experiments, now using other types of waves. They have no doubt that the results will be positive in this case too.

The value of this study lies in the fact that this property of the Cheops pyramid, as well as other Egyptian pyramids, can be successfully used in modern world not only for creating radio waves, but also for special nanoparticles that can focus light.

If this assumption turns out to be true, then this property will be the first step towards creating completely new gadgets, which previously could only be read in science fiction books. It is assumed that this may lead to the creation, among other things, of a light computer, which will be radically different from its predecessors.

True, these assumptions have yet to be verified, having conducted more than a dozen experiments. Scientists believe that the results of new research may be quite unexpected.

Ancient Egypt has been stirring the minds of scientists and ordinary people ever since the Great Sphinx was cleared of the sand for the first time. And although the land of the pharaohs keeps many secrets under its sands.

"The Pyramid of Cheops, like a Russian nesting doll, consists of three pyramids of three pharaohs."

The veil over the thousand-year "secret" of one of the wonders of the World - the pyramid of Cheops has been opened

Mysteries are overcome by knowledge. Knowledge can be obtained or created.

Any creation of human hands has a meaning. "... Everything that arises must have some reason for its occurrence, for it is absolutely impossible to arise without a reason." (IV century BC, Plato, Timaeus).

Which suggests that one of the "Seven Wonders of the World" pyramid of Cheops - there is a semblance of a "Russian nesting doll" containing two more pyramids inside, one inside the other?

Let's think, understand the facts and create new knowledge on this basis.
As a "tool for creation" we take common sense, logic of thinking and knowledge of people who used ideas about the world at that distant time.
“That which is comprehended with the help of reflection and reasoning is obvious, and there is an eternally identical being; and that which is subject to opinion ... arises and perishes, but never really exists. " (IV century BC, Plato, Timaeus).

And so, let's start with the facts.
First, there are three burial chambers in the pyramid. - Three! It never occurs to any living person to prepare his own tomb in triplicate. In addition, as can be seen from the size of the pyramids, it was a rather troublesome and time-consuming business. Egyptian archaeologists have established that the pharaohs built separate structures of a much smaller size for their wives, and the “family” in the pyramids of the pharaohs has not been established. From this fact it follows that the pyramid at different times had three owners (three pharaohs), and therefore each had its own burial chamber.

To confirm this conclusion, consider the pyramid in section (what it is).

Egyptian historians have established that long before the construction of the pyramids in ancient Egypt in the 4th millennium BC. and even earlier, the pharaohs were buried in deep underground halls where the mummy was located. In the ground part, on the top above the hall, a not high, trapezoidal truncated pyramid was erected.... All together it was called - mastaba (crypt). Inside, in the ground room of the mastaba, there was a prayer room with a statue of the pharaoh, into which, after death (according to the ancient Egyptians), the soul of the pharaoh moved. The halls in the room could also be isolated from each other.
Looking at the plan of the section of the Cheops pyramid, we can conclude that the upper prayer room of the mastaba, which has not yet been discovered (no more than 15 meters high) located in the center, just below the middle burial chamber (7). If, of course, by the beginning of the construction of his pyramid over the mastaba by the second pharaoh, it was not destroyed, crushed, plundered and preserved in volume.
The conclusion about the presence of a mastaba room on the basis of a plateau in the center of the Cheops pyramid is also confirmed by the studies of French scientists - Gilles Dormion and Jean-Yves Verdhart. They in August 2004, investigating the average burial chamber(7), found an imposing void under it at a depth of about four meters.

Also in the pyramid there is a narrow inclined vertical shaft (12), built for the passage of the soul of the pharaoh from the underground burial pit (5) upward. The passage should be connected to the above-ground prayer room of the mastaba. At the exit of the mine, at the level of the surface of the plateau under the base of the pyramid, there is a small grotto (expanding up to 5 meters), the walls of which are partially fortified more ancient masonry not belonging to the pyramid. The ascending mine and ancient masonry are nothing more than belonging to the first mastaba... From the grotto (12) to the center of the pyramid there should be an entrance on a scale, which, most likely, was walled up by the builders of the second pyramid (due to its uselessness).

According to archaeologists, the underground burial "pit" (5) remained unfinished. Perhaps for the same reason, the upper above-ground part of the mastaba with a prayer room ( which remains to be seen). The presence of an unfinished burial structure located in the most advantageous place (at the top of a stone plateau) served the second (before Cheops) pharaoh as an excuse and moral reason to take a mastaba to build a second pyramid over it.
In favor of the fact that the plateau in Gizi was previously "inhabited" by ancient mastabas, the fact that the age of the "Sphinx" is estimated to be much older than the pyramids (about 5-10 thousand years) speaks.

By the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. in Egypt burials in mastabas were replaced by more majestic structures - stepped pyramids, and even later on smooth ones. The Egyptians also developed a different worldview about the place of residence of the soul after death. - The soul flies to a new life for the stars. “The one who will live the time he is due, will return to the abode of the star of his name". (Plato, Timaeus).

The burial chamber (7) belonging to the second inner pyramid (on the plan of the cross-section) should be located above the prayer part of the first mastaba. The corridor (6) ascending to the chamber is laid along the mastaba wall, and the horizontal corridor (8) along its roof. Thus, one can “see” the approximate contours of the first ancient internal truncated, trapezoidal mastaba pyramid.

Second inner pyramid meters by ten on each side is smaller than the present outer third pyramid of Cheops. This can be judged by the length of two outgoing from the chamber (7), the so-called (in a modern way) "ventilation ducts" (in the section 20 by 25 cm). These channels (according to the section plan) do not reach the border of the outer walls for about ten meters. The name of the channels - air ducts, of course, is not correct. The deceased did not need any ventilation ducts. The channels had a different purpose. This is one of the "keys" to unraveling the mystery of the pyramid. Channels are indicating, skyward path, oriented with great accuracy (up to a degree) to those stars where, according to the ideas of the ancient Egyptians, the soul of the pharaoh will settle after death. When the second pyramid was being built, the channels from the burial room (7) reached the edge of the outer walls and were open to the sky.
The second burial chamber of the pharaoh was probably also incomplete (judging by the lack of its interior design). This suggests that the entire pyramid was not fully completed (for example, there was a war, the pharaoh was killed, died prematurely from illness, an accident, etc.). But, in any case, the second pyramid has already been erected no lower than the level of the height of the channels emanating from the burial chamber (7) to the outer walls
The second inner pyramid reveals itself not only with tightly closed channels and its own burial chamber, but also with the now walled up central entrance (1) into the pyramid. This entrance, approximately for the same 10 meters (as the canals), turned out to be buried inside the outer wall of the third pyramid.
The entrance, built before Cheops, was not extended to the borders of the outer wall of the third pyramid, and therefore, after adding the perimeter of the walls of the third pyramid, the entrance turned out to be "recessed" inward. Entrance gates are always somewhat outside the structures, and not buried in the depths of the body of the structure.

The next in a row, the third owner of the pyramid was Pharaoh Cheops (Khufu).
Archaeologists, historians, according to the deciphering of the hieroglyphs, established that the pyramid of Cheops was built not by slaves (as was believed earlier), but by civilian builders, who, of course, had to pay well for hard work. And since the volume of construction was huge, it was more profitable for the Pharaoh to take the unfinished pyramid than to build it from scratch, thus - “bribed” to use the unfinished one. Again, as in the first case, the most advantageous location - on the top of the plateau - played its role.
The construction of the third pyramid began with the dismantling of the central part of the unfinished second. In the formed "funnel" at a height of about 40 meters from the ground, a prechamber (11) and a third burial chamber of the pharaoh (10) were built. The passage to the third chamber only needed to be extended. The ascending tunnel (6) was continued in the form of a large 8-meter high cone-shaped gallery (9). The conical shape of the gallery, which is not similar to the first initial part of the ascending passage, indicates that the passage was made not at one time, but at different times according to two different projects.

After the third pyramid was expanded “at the hips”, adding about 10 meters on each side, the old, outgoing channels for the “exit of the soul” from the chamber (7) turned out to be closed. If the burial chamber (7) did not involve burial, then the builders of the third pyramid made sense to lengthen the old canals - disappeared. The canals were simply closed with new rows of wall blocks.
In September 2002, English researchers launched a caterpillar robot into one of the narrow “air ducts” from the middle burial chamber. Having climbed to the end, he rested on a limestone slab 13 cm thick, drilled it, on the other side of the slab at a distance of 18 cm. The robot saw another stone barrier. These are the blocks of the wall of the third pyramid.

During the construction of the third burial chamber of Pharaoh Cheops, new channels (10) were also laid from it for the "flight of the soul" to the stars. If you look closely at the section of the pyramid, then the channels from the second and third chambers are almost parallel. At one time, they were aimed at the same stars. Almost parallel, but not quite! The channels from the upper third chamber, relative to the channels of the second, are slightly rotated clockwise by 3-5 degrees. This is no coincidence. Egyptian builders very scrupulously recorded the position of the stars in the sky and the direction towards them. - Then what's the matter?

The axis of rotation of the Earth every 72 years is shifted by 1 degree, and every 25920 years, the axis of the Earth, rotating with an inclination like a "whirligig", makes a full circle. This astronomical phenomenon is called precession. The ancient Egyptian priests knew about the declination of the Earth's axis and its swing around the poles. The rotation time of the Earth's axis in 26 thousand years Plato called - "The Great Year".

When the axis of the Earth is shifted by one degree in 72 years, then the angle of view towards the required star (including the angle of view on the Sun) also changes by 1 degree. If the displacement of a pair of channels approximately differs by 3-5 degrees, then we can calculate that the difference between the unfinished construction of the second pyramid and the time when the construction of the third pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops (Khufu) began is 216 -360 years.
Egyptian historians say that Pharaoh Khufu ruled 2540-2560 BC. Having measured the "degree" years ago, one can say when the second inner pyramid was being built.
In the entire pyramid of Cheops, in a single place under the ceiling, on powerful vaulted granite slabs above the third burial chamber, there is a hieroglyph made by workers - "Builders, friends of Pharaoh Khufu." No other mention of the names and affiliation of the pharaohs to the pyramid has yet been found.

Most likely, the third pyramid of Cheops was completed and used for its intended purpose. Otherwise, the entrance (1) would not have been covered with granite slabs, and the ascending passage (6) would not have been lowered from the inside along inclined plane stopper from several granite cubes. Thus, the pyramid was tightly closed to everyone for three thousand years (until 820 AD).

The ancient Egyptian name for the Cheops pyramid is read from hieroglyphs - "Horizon of Khufu". The name is literal. The angle of inclination of the side face of the pyramid is 51 ° 50 ". - This is the angle at which the Sun rose exactly at noon on the days of the autumn - spring equinox. The Sun at noon, like a golden" crown ", crowned the pyramid. Throughout the year the Sun (the ancient Egyptian God - Ra ) walks in the firmament higher in summer, lower in winter (just like the pharaoh in his possessions) and always the Sun (pharaoh) returns to his “house.” Therefore, the angle of inclination of the walls of the pyramid points to the house of “God - the Sun” and to the horizon of the “house - pyramids "of Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) -" the son of the Sun God "

The edges of the walls are arranged at an angle to the Sun not only in this pyramid. In the pyramid of Khafre, the angle of inclination of the sides of the walls is slightly more than 52-53 degrees (it is known that it was built later). In the pyramid of Mykerin, the slope of the faces is 51 ° 20'25 ″ (less than that of Cheops). Historians did not know if it was built before the pyramid of Cheops or later. But, now, taking into account the "degree time", the less steep angle of inclination of the walls (if the builders were not mistaken) - indicates that it was built earlier... In relation to the "degree age scale", a slope difference of 30 minutes corresponds to 36 years. In the later Egyptian pyramids, accordingly, the slope of the faces should be higher.

There are also many pyramids in Sudan with steeper angles. Sudan is much to the south of Egypt and the Sun on the day of the spring - autumn equinox stands there much higher above the horizon. This explains the steepness of the walls of the Sudanese pyramids.

In 820 A.D. The Baghdad caliph Abu Jafar al-Mamun, in search of the untold treasures of the pharaoh at the base of the pyramid of Cheops, made a horizontal breach (2), which is used to enter the pyramid to this day. The breach was made to the beginning of the ascending corridor (6), where they rested on granite cubes, which went around on the right and thus penetrated into the pyramid. But, according to historians, they found nothing but "dust in half an elbow" inside. If what was valuable in the pyramid, then the Caliph's servants took, and what they left behind, then everything was taken out over the next 1200 years.

Judging by appearance gallery (9), it looks like along its walls in the recesses rectangular, there were 28 pairs of ritual statues. (The exact purpose of the grooves is not known). Two facts speak for the fact that there were tall statues - the eight-meter height of the gallery, as well as large round peeling marks from the mortar, with which the inclined statues were attached to the walls, remained on the walls. (see photo gallery on Wikipedia).

I will disappoint those who are mystically inclined to find "miracles" in the construction of the pyramids.
Over a hundred pyramids have been discovered in Egypt today, and they all differ from each other. There are different angles of inclination of the faces oriented to the Sun (because they were built at different times), there is a pyramid with a "broken side" at a double angle, there are stone and brick pyramids, faced and stepped, even with a rectangular base (Pharaoh Djoser) ... There is no unity even among the three pyramids at Gizah. The smaller of the three pyramids of Mikerin at the base is not oriented strictly to the cardinal points. That is, the orientation of the sides has not been given any significance. In the main pyramid of Cheops, the third (upper) burial chamber is not located in the geometric center of the pyramid and not even on the axis of the pyramid. In the pyramids of Khafre and Mikerin, the burial chambers are also off-center. If there were some secret law, secret or knowledge in the pyramids, " golden ratio"And so on, then everyone would be uniform. - But there is nothing of the kind.

Broken pyramid of Sneferu in Dakhshur XXVI century BC NS.

Step pyramid of Djoser in the Sahara 2600 BC NS.

Minister of Archeology of Egypt and Chief Current Specialist for Ancient Pyramids Zahi hawass says: - “Like any practitioner, I decided to check the statement that food does not spoil in the pyramid. Divided a kilogram of meat in half. He left one part in the office, and the other in the Cheops pyramid. The part in the pyramid deteriorated even faster than in the office. "

What else can archaeologists do today in the Cheops pyramid? - Perhaps, try to find the above-ground prayer room of the first mastaba, for which it would be possible to drill down (vertically or obliquely in the edges and corners) several holes in the floor of the second (7) burial chamber, until the bottom of the inner cavity is found. It is better to find a walled-up passage from the grotto (12) or to rebuild it. For the pyramid, this will not have any damage, since there was originally a connecting entrance from the burial pit to the above-ground mastaba room. It only has to be found. Then it will become known about the owner of the first mastaba - a truncated trapezoidal pyramid.

Pyramid of Cheops in Gizah.

Much more interest in Egyptian Gizah represents the Sphinx.

The stone body of the ancient Sphinx is located from west to east. Burial chambers and burials were also made from west to east. It can be assumed that the Sphinx is component aboveground structure - the tomb of the unknown pharaoh.
Searches in this direction would expand the boundaries of knowledge of the history of ancient Egypt. Or an even earlier civilization, for example, the Atlanteans, whom the Egyptians deified and attributed to their ancient ancestors, their predecessor gods.

An identification study of American forensic scientists concluded that the face of the Sphinx does not look like the faces of the statues of the Egyptian pharaohs, but has Negroid features. That is, the ancient ancestors of the Egyptians - including Atlanteans had Negroid facial features and African descent.

It appears that the burial chamber and mummy of an ancient Negro pharaoh is under the front paws of the Sphinx. In this case, there must be a passage upward from the underground hall - a path for the transmigration of the "soul" of the pharaoh, for subsequent life in the body of a statue of the Sphinx (according to the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians).

Sphinx - lion (symbol royal power) with a human head and the face of a pharaoh. It is likely that the face of the discovered mummy of the pharaoh (after plastic restoration) will be like “two drops of water” similar to the face of the Sphinx.
The veil of secrecy over the "secrets" of the Egyptian structures in Gizah has been lifted. Now, it remains to "enter", the permission of the Egyptian authorities is required, which they give to the scientists-researchers with great reluctance.

Vladimir Garmatyuk (Vologda) http://viperson.ru/wind.php?ID=655412

The top of the Cheops pyramid

Mastaba Shepseskaf in Sakkara.

Pyramid in Meidum XXVI century BC NS.

Pyramids of Mikerin, Chephren, Cheops in Gizah XXVI century BC NS.

Pink pyramid in Dakhshur 104.5 m XXVI century BC NS.

The Great Pyramid remains an invaluable storehouse of information for historians to this day. However, she keeps many unsolved secrets that spur the imagination of dreamers.

The title of our article is reminiscent of the title of one of the Blake and Mortimer comics, The Mystery of the Great Pyramid. The author of this series, the Belgian Edgar P. Jacobe, contributed to the legends that surround this extraordinary structure. Indeed, at all times the craziest rumors circulated about the Cheops pyramid (also known as the "Great Pyramid") and its purpose. She invariably fascinates Egyptologists, travelers, astronomers and even mystics who are looking for an esoteric meaning in everything. A variety of theories have been put forward about its purpose: it was called an astronomical observatory, a place of worship, and even proof of the existence of an alien civilization.

Many to this day are convinced that unexplored galleries and secret rooms are hidden in this monument. Be that as it may, everyone - both scientists and connoisseurs of art - admires this miracle of architecture Of the ancient world, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World that has come down to us almost intact. I must say that this pyramid really has everything to stimulate the imagination. This structure, surrounded by a desert, is perfect, its shape is striking, and the architecture is surprisingly flawless: the difference between each of its sides (the length of which is two hundred and thirty meters) does not exceed twenty centimeters, and in some places the stone blocks fit together so tightly. that between them it will not be possible to push even the blade of a knife.

For many centuries, the pyramid never ceased to amaze the imagination of people. Recall that before the construction Eiffel tower in 1887-1889 it was the tallest monument ever built by man. Archaeologists and adventurers who climbed it in the 19th century had a magnificent view, without doubt the most impressive in Egypt. These early Egyptologists made an invaluable contribution to science: before they rediscovered the pyramids, these structures were almost completely buried under the sands of the desert. At the same time, the names and long-lost stories of many pharaohs and queens were acquired. However, some of the most intriguing secrets remain unsolved.

HOW LIKE CHEOPS?

Despite the monument he left behind, and although doctrine proved that his reign was a period of prosperity, very few portraits of the pharaoh survived. One who undoubtedly was one of the most powerful monarchs of Egypt is depicted only twice: his first portrait is a headless ivory figurine found British archaeologist Flinders Petrie. This explorer turned over mountains of sand in order to find the head of the lord. In addition to her, a bas-relief carved on a rock in the Sinai desert has reached us. On this ancient monument, Cheops is depicted killing the Bedouin leader in front of the god Thoth, a scribe with the head of an ibis.

Sun or stars?

The location of the pyramid and its orientation in relation to the pyramids of Khafre and Mikerin have become a topic for many research works... Why was the pyramid of Cheops built? A variety of hypotheses have been put forward on this score, from very convincing to the most absurd. The first Christians believed that the pharaohs stored grain in it; by the way, this is the explanation mentioned in the Bible. Astronomers, in turn, argued that its architecture is associated with the position of the stars (as well as the location in relation to the pyramids of Khafre and Mikerin). Indeed, if you look closely, you can see that the ventilation shafts of the Cheops pyramid correspond to the position of the stars in the sky, for example, the North Star or the constellation Orion.

However, in recent works, historians and other scientists usually come to the conclusion that she, like all the other pyramids in this area, was built to facilitate the ruler's journey to the underworld. Thus, the pyramid is a kind of ladder, a "power plant" that sends the soul of the deceased to another world. Rather, we do not yet know what exactly should have become with the soul of Cheops: whether it should have gone to the kingdom of Ra, or a different fate was destined for it. Perhaps this is what is said in one of the verses of the Pyramid Texts: "O king, you are the shining star, the companion of Orion." Perhaps Pharaoh Cheops was supposed to become a star? ..

Construction secrets

There are only three rooms in the Cheops pyramid: the main, burial chamber, which is called the king's room, the central chamber, which is called (but mistakenly) the queen's room, and an unfinished underground room. We are aware of some of the main events associated with the construction of the pyramid. So, we know that the plan of the pyramid changed during the construction process. For example, behind the entrance there was originally a corridor leading to an unfinished room. Another upward corridor makes a sharp turn and leads to a large gallery, which, in turn, leads to a burial chamber. Other, much narrower passages, reminiscent of ventilation shafts, link the two main rooms to the surface of the pyramid.

Construction

How many Egyptians labored to build the pyramid? Nobody knows for sure. Some researchers claim that over twenty years about one hundred thousand people were involved in the work. Contrary to popular legend, most of them were peasants who built the pyramid for only three months, which lasted for the flooding of the Nile. We also know that four thousand hired workers lived near the construction site throughout the year. Another question: how did the Egyptians move the stones needed to build the pyramid, whose total mass is several million tons? This is one of the greatest mysteries in history.

Over the decades, scientists have been inventing all sorts of options. Today the existence of lifting mechanisms, pulleys, is rejected almost unanimously. Indeed, it seems unlikely that the Egyptians used such devices. But they probably had ramps at their disposal, along which they dragged stone blocks to the construction site of the pyramid. One source helps to illuminate this issue: a fresco discovered by archaeologists in the tomb of a certain Dzhehuti-Hotep, in the town of El-Bersheh. It dates from around 1850 BC. NS.

This colorful piece depicts with great skill how several teams of workers are dragging a huge stone statue. It can be assumed that the Egyptians dragged heavy stone blocks for the Cheops pyramid in a similar way. And finally, the last detail regarding the construction of this monument: a granite stone crusher and a metal hook were found in the pyramid, or rather, in the ventilation shaft of the queen's room. They were apparently forgotten here by careless workers. If their authenticity is further proven, these things will become the only surviving tools used in the construction of the pyramid.

THE SO CALLED ROOM OF THE QUEEN

This is the erroneous name for a small empty room, which in fact, apparently, was never intended for the king's wife. However, the first explorers of the pyramid, who discovered it, decided to give it a beautiful name "the queen's room". Today, archaeologists suggest that this room was intended for Cheops himself, but during the construction process, after changing the original plan, it was abandoned.

Paths to another world

Among the mysteries surrounding the Great Pyramid, we also note the mysterious passages, the first of which were discovered by archaeologists in the 19th century. No other pyramid has such passages, and the most experienced specialists struggle with the question of their purpose.

Perhaps these passages served as symbolic paths to the other world, intended for two divine incarnations of Cheops: the sun god and Horus the falcon, the god of heaven and light. It should be clarified that Cheops really had a very special religious philosophy. He proclaimed himself the god of the sun during his lifetime, in contrast to his predecessors, who received this title only after death.

Two such passages go out high above the ground, and the third is still not fully explored. This mysterious passage, twenty centimeters wide, gradually rises upward. Its angle of inclination is forty degrees, and its length is at least sixty meters. It starts in the so-called queen's room and leads south. As archaeologists have discovered earlier, from the upper chamber, the king's room, two other "ventilation passages" with the same orientation lead north and south, leaving high above the ground. However, where the passage that begins in the queen's room leads, it is still not known exactly. After carefully examining it, scientists noticed that after sixty meters or so, it ends with a thick door with copper handles.

What is hidden behind this door? Interest Ask, especially since no other pyramid has such passages. To uncover this mystery, in September 2002, in collaboration with the Egyptian Council of Antiquities, archaeologists launched a Pyramid Rover inside a robot. Under the watchful eye of the television cameras, this small device covered sixty meters, climbing the aisle at a forty-degree angle, and finally reached the door.

He made a through hole in it and put a tiny camera inside. But, unfortunately, the spectators, tensely awaiting the denouement, did not see anything special behind her: "Pyramid Rover" appeared in front of ... another door! Ultrasound examination showed that its thickness is about nine centimeters. Thus, the mystery remains unsolved, and fans of Ancient Egypt may continue to dream of the mysteries of the Great Pyramid. Perhaps this cache contains treasure?

Where did the mummies go?

The mother of Cheops, Queen Hetepheres, had the good fortune to be buried in the only surviving tomb of the Old Kingdom. The thieves did not get to her tomb, and amazing treasures, jewelry, furniture and even internal organs queens, duly embalmed and laid out in traditional canopic vessels. However, one oddity caught the eye of the archaeologists: the sarcophagus of Hetepheres was empty. Where does the mummy rest? ..

Another mystery of this story: Cheops, like any high-ranking person, or rather, like any Egyptian, was probably embalmed after death and, undoubtedly, with all care. It is also very likely that the Great Pyramid became his last refuge, his grave. However, surprisingly, not a single mummy of the pharaohs who built them was found in the pyramids on the Giza plateau. As you know, the tomb robbers who have visited the pyramids over the past centuries, were interested primarily in gold and funerary furniture, leaving the mummies in their place. What did they do with the remains of Cheops? And if there was no mummy of Cheops in the Great Pyramid, then why was it built in that case?