What are the interesting facts about the Pyramids of Giza?



The Great Pyramid of Giza, located on the bank of River Nile in Egypt is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Relics of Egypt's Old Kingdom era, they were constructed nearly 4,500 years ago. Egyptian pharaohs (kings) erected temples and giant tombs for themselves to sustain them in their afterlife. These tombs that we know as pyramids were filled with all the things the pharaohs would need in their afterlife, including gold, boats to carry them. and small tombs for the officials and relatives they would like to accompany them. Today, the Great Pyramid is the oldest and the only remaining ancient wonder of the world.



1. The three pyramids



The Giza pyramid complex has three pyramids. The first pyramid, known as the Great Pyramid of Khufu, was built by Pharaoh Khufu. It is the tallest among the three and was built around 2550 BC. It stands at 481 feet above the plateau.



The second pyramid was built by Khufu's son, Pharaoh Khafre in 2520 BC. Khafre also built the Sphinx, a mysterious limestone monument of a lion with a pharaoh's face.



The third pyramid, which is the smallest of the three, was built by Pharaoh Menkaure, son of Khafre, in 2490 BC.



2. The weight of the Great Pyramid



The Great Pyramid of Khufu took nearly 20 years to build. The massive structure required 2.5 million limestone and granite blocks to build. While some of the limestone blocks were quarried from near the site. the larger granite stones were fetched from Aswan, nearly 800 km away. Each stone block on average weighed 2.5 tonnes. The pyramid was built by skilled Egyptian workers who lived in a temporary city close by. When it was completed, the Great Pyramid was the tallest structure in the world. It retained the title for nearly 3,800 years, when it was finally overtaken by the Lincoln Cathedral in the 1300s. Experts estimate that the Great Pyramid would cost over 1 billion dollars if it were to be built today.



3. Aligned to the stars



The three pyramids of the Giza necropolis are built in such a way that they are perfectly aligned with the Orion constellation.



4. The monument of Glorious Light



In its initial years, the Great Pyramid was covered in highly polished limestone blocks known as casing stones. These stones reflected the Sun's light so well that the people of ancient Egypt used to call the Great Pyramid Ikhet, meaning GloriouS Light. The casing stones are now gone. It is suspected that massive earthquakes loosened the stones and they were taken away to build mosques in Cairo.



5. Depicting life in ancient Egypt



The interiors of the Pyramids of Giza are decorator with scenes from every aspect of life in ancient Egypt. The art includes depictions of carpentry, costumes, ancient farmers working in their fields, fishing, religious rituals and burial practices among others. The pyramids also contain inscriptions and texts that allow experts to research ancient Egyptian language and grammar.



 



Picture Credit : Google


What are the interesting facts of Stonehenge monument?



Considered the most architecturally sophisticated stone circle in the world, the Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England is a prehistoric monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monument is made up of a circle of standing stones. It is said that the outer circle had 30 sarsen stones which were surrounded by five huge stone arches in a horseshoe shape. There were also two smaller arcades of bluestones smaller than the sarsens. Four station stones were positioned outside the central monument and the entire site is surrounded by a circular ditch and bank which remains to this day.



The Stonehenge has faced degradation owing to natural wear and tear, however, most of the stones can still be seen standing today.



1. Spanning centuries



Construction of the monument spanned centuries, with work beginning in the Neolithic Age, over 5,000 years ago, and the final changes made in the Bronze Age, around 1,500 BC. It was built and rebuilt by generations of ancient people.



2. The building mystery



How did the ancient people build the Stonehenge, transporting huge stones from faraway places and putting them together at the site? This is a question that has left people baffled. Till date, there is no proven theory as to how the Stonehenge was built. A 12th century legend states that giants had placed the monument on a mountain in Ireland, and a wizard named Merlin magically moved the entire stone circle to England.



Meanwhile, archaeologists believe the sarsen stones, weighing at least 22 tonnes each, were hauled to the site on big wooden sledges from their actual location about 32km away from the Stonehenge While the bluestones, which have been traced to a place in Wales, about 225 km away from the site, were dragged on sledges to a waterway and then floated on rafts to the site.



3. Link with astronomy



The purpose of the construction of the Stonehenge is also a mystery Researchers believe the Stonehenge may have been a calendar linked to the study of the stars as each year on June 21 (the longest day of the year or Summer Solstice), the Sun rises over the Heel Stone, the single large sarsen stone that stands outside the main monument. Similarly, the Sun always sets over the Heel Stone on the shortest day of the year (December 21, the Winter Solstice).



4. A cemetery



One thing that is known for sure is that the Stonehenge served as a cemetery in its initial years. While experts do not know for sure why people were laid to rest at the site, they estimate that about 200 people were buried at the site. They also think that funeral ceremonies could have been performed at the site.



5. The Welsh angle



A recent discovery suggests that the Stonehenge might have originally been built in Wales! Archaeologists have found evidence of a stone circle in Wales similar to the Stonehenge, close to the quarry where the bluestones originated from. They believe the stones might have stood in Wales for many years before being moved to Wiltshire to form part of the Stonehenge.



 



Picture Credit : Google


What are the interesting facts of The Sundarbans National Park?



Shared between two countries



The Sundarbans is spread across West Bengal, India, and Khulna Division, Bangladesh. Covering an estimated10,00,000 hectares, about 64 per cent of the entire mangrove area of the forest is said to be in Bangladesh, with the remaining 36 per cent in India. The Sundarbans is listed as 'Sundarbans National Park, as a World Heritage Site from India, and as The Sundarbans World Heritage Site from Bangladesh.



The largest Mangrove forest



The Sundarbans is home to the largest mangrove forest in the world, and is also the only mangrove forest to be inhabited by the tiger. Nearly 78 species of mangroves have been recorded at the Sundarbans, making it one of the richest mangrove forests, as well as one among the most biologically productive of all natural ecosystems.



The largest population of tigers



Apart from being the only mangrove forest inhabited by the tiger, the Sundarbans is also home to the largest number of Bengal Tigers in the world A part of the Sundarbans is designated as the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve to protect the species. The tigers here have adapted to the environment and have become amphibious, swimming long stretches in search of food.



A unique tidal system



The Sundarbans experiences a unique tidal phenomenon, witnessing high and low tides several times within a day. During the high tides, you can witness the water levels rising by six to ten feet. And during low tides, you can see huge areas of flat mud lands.



There is a great natural depression called "Swatch of No Ground in the Sundarbans area. This depression leads to a sudden change in the depth of the water from 20 m to 500 m.



What's in a name?



Did you know the Sundarbans got its name from the Sundari tree? It is a special kind of mangrove tree found in this area. It has aerial roots (roots which are above the ground) to help with respiration. This is especially useful for the tree during the rainy season when the entire mangrove area is waterlogged.



 



Picture Credit : Google