The ongoing mysteries of Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza
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Picture the pyramids of Giza, standing tall for more than 4,000 years and built from millions of massive limestone blocks, some of them bigger than a car. Well, here's the thing. For centuries, no one has known exactly how they were built. We are reminded that of the seven wonders known to the ancients, the pyramids alone are left. The most famous of these age-old relics are at Giza, near Memphis, west of the Nile. And the biggest among them is the tomb of Chufu, a king of the fourth dynasty.

Many experts have tried to solve the mystery, and some people have even offered the conspiracy theory that aliens were involved. Now scientists believe they may have cracked the mystery once and for all, and spoiler alert: there are no extraterrestrials in their answer.

In this episode, we're going to explain what researchers have found, and we'll also explain what we still don't know about the pyramids. Plus, we'll also hear how important the pyramids are for Egypt's economy and its tourism sector. I'm William Lee Adams, and this is What in the World from the BBC World Service.

Rahab Ismail is a BBC reporter in Cairo. Rahab, hello. Hi, hello. How are you? So good. I want to start with what may seem like an obvious question. Have you ever visited the pyramids at Giza?

Yes, for sure. Like, it's essential for any Egyptian to visit the pyramid. So I have went several times with my friends, with my family, and as a reporter as well. But actually, every time, it's like the first time, and it's always astonishing and very emotional when you see this great monument in Egypt. And those of us abroad, we've seen photos, but what is it like when you're actually approaching them?

Actually, you can see the pyramids from different locations in Cairo because they are very, very huge. I just want you to imagine three huge triangular-shaped structures, and they are perfectly aligned. And they actually house the pyramids of the fourth dynasty kings, according to sources from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Egypt, and, of course, alongside with the iconic Great Sphinx.

Everyone, when they move around, when they see these huge structures, they feel that, oh my God, how these people this long years ago, thousands of years ago, managed to build this, why they did that and how. And it's really astonishing. So the only things makes you do is you think and you think and you keep thinking and looking. So, of course, you feel how this civilization was really advanced all these thousands years ago.

And we've talked about the exterior. What about inside? Are people allowed to go in?

Yes, of course, you're allowed to go in. But if you're not claustrophobic, because the Great Pyramid has a narrow passage leading to the king's chamber. And it's an incredible experience where they can see the tomb of Khufu. So, yeah, it's really, really great experience. And Rahab, you've been looking at research conducted by the University of North Carolina. What insights do they offer about how these pyramids were built? Yeah.

Yeah, actually, they suggest that there is like a nearby waterway that was used to transport materials like

stone blocks needed to build the pyramids on the river. And actually, this could be like an idea that has been discussed by other archaeologists before, but they suggest that there wasn't certainty about the location, the shape, and the size of proximity of this mega waterway to the actual pyramids' size. But also, let me refer to

a controversy that has happened in Egypt once this research was published, and it was mainly led by the Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawa.

And I'm quoting him. He said that Egyptologists have suggested for more than a century that a western Nile branch or canal gave access to the pyramids. And he discusses that even if this research, like, have referred to or tried to explain how these huge blocks were moved or transferred,

to the site of building the pyramids, but it still might not shed the light of how these huge stones were put together and managed to create this great and massive structure.

I want to find out a bit more about the mysteries of the pyramids and what mysteries may no longer be mysteries. So let's bring in Yassra Ibrahim. She is an Egyptologist also in Cairo. Yassra, hi. Hi, Will. How are you? So good. Thank you for joining us. So please tell us, what things about the pyramids do we now know for certain?

We know that the pyramid is supposed to mimic the primeval mount of creation and also the sun rays. The final limestone, which was very white and bright, reflected these solar rays. So they evoked the concept of the sun god shining every day and giving rebirth to the king.

The pyramid was also the final resting place. It was a cosmic machine or a resurrection machine. And this is why we have one of the shafts extending from the Braille chamber and directly pointed towards the circumpolar constellations in the northern sky. These circumpolar constellations we now know as the Great Bear or Big Tipper. And during the pyramid age,

They were perceived as eternal and it is where the king wished to become immortal. An important fact about the pyramids is that we know that they were not constructed by slaves.

They were actually constructed by busy laborers, craftsmen, and highly skilled workers. And for quite some time, we've been talking about mysteries, the unknown. How were these pyramids built? Could you tell us what mysteries still exist and how has recent research addressed those mysteries? One of the mysteries is

we are still trying to figure out is the exact construction of the pyramid. We don't have any guidebooks or any manuals on how to build a pyramid. So we are trying to gather together some human remains, fragments of tools and papyri. Most importantly is the recently discovered papyri along the Red Sea.

which gives us a logbook monitoring the labours and the times and dates of the ships sailing back and forth between Giza and Tura, supplying limestone for the construction of the pyramid as well as

One of the things that remains a mystery is where is the king's mummy? We don't know where is the mummy. So we have a huge sarcophagus inside the burial chamber, but we don't have any remains for Hufu. There are several theories. It's possible that he wasn't buried in the pyramids.

or that the pyramid was robbed of its contents, including the mummy shortly after the burial of the king. And also another theory is that the mummy was robbed afterwards, either in antiquity or by travelers afterwards. Yosra, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you very much for having me today. It's my pleasure.

Rahab, the pyramids, of course, aren't just about history. They remain a huge symbol of Egypt. How important are they for the country's tourism sector and its broader economy? Of course, it's like Egypt's crown jewels of tourism. And let's say...

According to the Chamber of Tourism, in 2024, around 15 million tourists visit Egypt. And as I said, the permit is usually on the top list of the places that tourists hope and love to go and see. And of course, it's very important to Egypt's economy to attract tourists, to create jobs in hospitality, in preserving, in

all the aspects that are related to hosting the tourists and guiding them through visiting the pyramids. Tourism, of course, brings in dollars, but it also brings in damage. How is the government working to preserve and protect the pyramids? Of course, like sites like the pyramids, there are laws that make sure to protect these places. And there are like agreements or cooperations with UNESCO, for example,

to make sure that these places are not exposed to any harm by tourists or anyone.

There are guides everywhere trying to guide the tourists or kindly asking them not to touch the pyramids or try not to put any harm to the pyramids. But let me tell you that there are efforts, of course, to preserve them. And there is a project, the Giza Plateau Development Plan. It aims to divide the area into three zones. A core archaeological zone where it contains all the money

the monuments and all the sites and like a transitional zone it could regulate where the tourists could be and it might regulate the numbers to make sure that everyone enjoys or have a proper experience inside the firm Rahab thank you so much for explaining that thank you so much that's all for today thanks for listening to another episode of what in the world from the BBC World Service I'm William Lee Adams we'll see you again soon