7 Over 2 Million stone blocks were used to build The Great Pyramid of Giza covering nearly 15 acres of land.

Historian and archaeologist John Romer believes that a 1 – 1 scale model of the pyramid was built on the ground before construction, thus explaining the unmatched precision of the construction. Experts estimate that the pyramid weighs over 5 million tons. Thirty times larger than the Empire State Building, the Pyramid is so large they can be seen from the Moon. (source)

8 Contrary to popular belief, the largest pyramid in the world is in Mexico.

While the Great Pyramid of Giza is the tallest Pyramid in the world, the Great Pyramid of Cholula is in fact the largest with a volume of 4.5 million cubic meters. (source)

9 Hieroglyphics had not been discovered in the Great Pyramid until recently in 2011. 

It may seem hard to believe, but prior to 2011, there were no known hieroglyphics inside the Great Pyramid. After a very tedious exploration (see fact 6), some red paint was found in a previously inaccessible area that historians believe to be hieroglyphics. (1,2)

10 Without modern day technology, the builders of the Great Pyramid were able to point the pyramid towards True North by using astrology.

The construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza is by itself a modern marvel. While researchers are already baffled by the Egyptians’ ability during that time period, scientists, historians, archeologists, and astrologists are trying to figure out how they managed to align the pyramid to True North using only their knowledge of astrology. (source)

11 The builders of the pyramids also had their own tombs. Over 600 graves have been discovered.

This first graves were unearthed in 1990 by tourists. Archaeologist Zahi Hawass believes that this might mean that the slaves were paid laborers rather than the slaves they’ve been perpetrated to be in Hollywood films. (1,2)

12 The Great Sphinx that guards the Great Pyramids is the largest monolith statue in the world.

The Great Sphinx, like the Great Pyramids, was made out of limestone. It’s still debated who carved the stone and for what reason. It is generally believed that it was built in 2500 BC for the king pharaoh Khafra. (1,2)