The pyramids of Cheops, Mycerinus, and Chephren in Giza, Egypt. Photograph © Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS

Pyramids, Egypt
By Zahi Hawass

As an inspector of antiquities, I lived in a rest house near the Giza Pyramids for almost five years. I viewed the Great Pyramid at sunrise and sunset. It never ceased to amaze me that every day I looked at the pyramid, I saw a different image. Although the ancient Egyptians produced over 107 pyramids for their kings and queens, it is the Great Pyramid built by the Pharaoh Cheops—perhaps the most famous man-made building in the world—that remains the symbol of this distant civilization.The first time I entered the Great Pyramid and gazed upward toward the grand gallery, I felt as though it went straight up to the sky. I began to climb the ascending corridor, stopping to touch the polished limestone sides of the pyramid, where centuries before a great pharaoh may have passed. Reaching the king's burial chamber, I stood in silence. I could feel the spirits of ancient Egyptians. And I wanted to know more about this amazing structure.

This quest of investigating the Great Pyramid has resulted in projects such as the one conducted in 1992 with the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo. Using a robot, two air shafts located inside the so-called queen's chamber were explored to determine their function. Inside the south branch, it was discovered that the shaft bends after 60 feet. Why does the shaft change direction? Two hundred feet inside the north branch, the robot located a door with two copper handles. What does this door hide? What is the purpose of these shafts? Such questions have tantalized travelers to Egypt for thousands of years.

Important discoveries are still being made around the Great Pyramid area, opening up even more sites for the traveler to explore. Among these is the mysterious tomb of Osiris, located 90 feet under the ground, and a magnificent double statue of Ramses II uncovered near the pyramid of Mycerinus. In addition, colorfully decorated tombs of nobles and officials have been conserved and are now open to the public. However, the most important discovery at Giza is the tombs of the pyramid builders. The archaeological evidence from this site gives proof that Egyptians, not slaves, were the builders of the Pyramids.

The Pyramids of Giza and the sands of Ancient Egypt hold the secrets of the ages. By excavating near the Pyramids, those secrets are slowly being revealed, and by restoring the Pyramids, temples, and tombs, the past is preserved for posterity.

The information in this story was accurate at the time it was published, but we suggest you confirm all details before making travel plans.