Egyptian authorities announced on Thursday the discovery of a long corridor in the Great Pyramid of Giza, the first of its kind to be found on the north side of the structure.
The corridor is nine meters long and two meters wide. It is located above the main entrance to the pyramid and was found using imaging technology. It is not known what the chamber was used for, but such corridors often lead to other archaeological finds.
Well-known Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass and Egyptian Minister of Tourism Ahmed Eissa announced the find at the foot of the pyramid.
The chamber was discovered as part of the Scan Pyramids project, an international program in which Laval University notably participated and which uses imaging technologies to examine unexplored sections of the ancient structure.
The pyramid is located about fifteen kilometers from the heart of Cairo. It is also called the Pyramid of Cheops, named after the pharaoh who had it built and who reigned between 2509 and 2483 BC.
This pyramid is the last surviving wonder of the ancient world. It has fascinated visitors since it was erected as a royal burial chamber 4,500 years ago. Experts disagree on how the pyramids were built, so even the most modest finds generate a lot of interest.
Egypt often promotes such discoveries to attract tourists, an important source of foreign currency for this poor North African country. Egyptian tourism has been badly hit by the political crisis and instability that followed the Arab Spring in 2011.
To see in video