Police are silhouetted against the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt, in 2012.
Hassan Ammar/AP
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Hassan Ammar/AP
Police are silhouetted against the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt, in 2012.
Hassan Ammar/AP
Egypt revealed Thursday the discovery of a long passageway inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, the first to be found on the north side of the structure.
The passage, which is nearly 30 feet by more than 6 feet, is located above the main entrance of the famous structure and was discovered using a scan, authorities said. The current function of the chamber is unknown, although such passages often lead to further archaeological finds.
Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass and Tourism Minister Ahmed Eissa announced the discovery at the base of the pyramid.
The chamber was discovered by the Scan Pyramids project, an international program that uses scans to look at unexplored sections of the ancient structure.
The pyramid about 11 miles from central Cairo is also known as Khufu’s Pyramid for its builder, a 4th Dynasty pharaoh who ruled from 2509 to 2483 BC.
The ancient structure is the last remaining wonder of the ancient world. It has attracted visitors since it was built as a royal burial chamber some 4,500 years ago. Experts are divided on how it and other pyramids were built, so even small finds are of great interest.
Egypt often publicly touts ancient finds to attract more tourists, a major source of foreign exchange for the cash-strapped North African country. The sector suffered a long decline following the political upheaval and violence that followed the 2011 revolution.
