Mysterious doors in Great Pyramid of Giza hiding ‘secrets’ to be unlocked for first time
Topics: History, World News, Egypt, Travel
Kit Roberts
Featured Image Credit: National Geographic/Patrick CHAPUIS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Topics: History, World News, Egypt, Travel
While there are innumerable fields of archeology, Ancient Egypt remains a fascinating area of study for many people around the world.
It's been the subject of innumerable studies and excavations, and now another project overseen by archeologist and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs Zahi Hawass has delved deeper.
Hawass previously spoke of a project to examine unexplored areas of the Pyramid of Khufu.
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Specifically, there was one section that appeared to be blocked by a series of doors which Hawass wanted to open up and see what was behind.
These were difficult to access, and no one was precisely sure where they led to within the structure.
The archeologist previously opened up about the project with The US Sun, describing how despite making discoveries within the Great Pyramid, he only had more questions.
Hawass said: “I think, until now, the secret doors that I found inside the Great Pyramid are really a discovery that needs many questions and many answers.
"Inside the Great Pyramid, I found the so-called three doors. One on the south entrance of the second chamber that has two copper handles.
“Twenty-one centimeters behind that one we found a second one and in the northern tunnel, we found the third door with two copper handles.
"On December 5th I'm leading a team, to see, to discover, and to answer the questions about these doors."
From the outside the pyramids might appear to be quite simple structures, but the interiors are a different story.
Hawass has previously spoken about how the Great Pyramid's complex interior is what makes it fascinating to archaeologists and historians.
In December 2023, his team conducted a week-long study as part of an ongoing project to investigate behind the doors.
Speaking before the initial study, Hawass said: “We are planning to clean the south shaft from outside to learn if it does open to the outside.
“If it does, then it is possible that it was a symbolic door for the king to use in crossing to the Netherworld.
“If it is sealed, we have to return to the Westcar Papyri and read how Khufu was looking for the documents of the god Thoth to help him with the design of his pyramid.
"Only further research into the shafts can reveal their function, solving one of the many mysteries of the Great Pyramid."
The project, named on Hawass' Instagram page as the 'Djedi Project', has now had the first study.
Hawass posted on the social media site: "We conducted a one week study in December and work will continue."
It seems we may have to wait to see what they found, but it has been some 4,500 years since the Great Pyramid was built, so what's a little longer?