The pyramids of Giza have long been the subject of speculation and have served as a driving force for various conspiracy theories over the years. While astronomers have marvelled upon the positioning of the pyramids and the associated alignment with different stars in the sky, archeologists have unearthed ancient messages and tunnels in the structures.
However, one of the most startling hypothesis is the Orion Correlation Theory which stipulates that there is a correlation between three of the largest pyramids in Egypt with the Orion constellation. The constellation is named after the mythical god Osiris, who was known as the god of rebirth and the afterlife.
At the time of construction, Egyptians were staunch believers in the after-life and the pyramids themselves were a physical testament to their belief. The structures housed the remains of Egyptian leaders and their family members.
This theory further posits that the Nile river reflects on the position of the Milky Way Galaxy while other smaller pyramids can be added to complete the Orion constellation.
Similar theories have existed for other ancient structures like the Stonehenge in the United Kingdom. The Stonehenge itself is aligned in such a way where the structures face a nearby river.
Religious and spiritual theories have driven much of the discourse, with water often playing a symbol of purity and rebirth. Modern science, still has a ways to go before definitive conclusions can be drawn.
Last year, a passenger plane-sized “void” was discovered in the middle of the Great Pyramid of Egypt, where it had lain secret and untouched for 4,500 years. The space is one of four cavities, along with the king and queen’s chambers and “Grand Gallery”, now known to exist inside the giant monument constructed under pharaoh Khufu of ancient Egypt.
“It is big,” said co-discoverer Mehdi Tayoubi of the ScanPyramids project, which has been exploring Khufu’s pyramid since October 2015 with non-invasive technology using subatomic particle scans.
“It’s the size of a 200-seater airplane, in the heart of the pyramid,” Tayoubi told AFP of the discovery, published in science journal Nature.
Towering over the Giza complex on Cairo’s outskirts alongside smaller pyramids for kings Menkaure and Khafre and the Great Sphinx, the Khufu’s pyramid is the oldest and only surviving construction among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and one of the largest buildings ever erected on Earth.