Unknown Corridor and Sealed Door Detected Within Great Pyramid of Giza

Renowned Egyptian archaeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass recently confirmed the detection of a previously unknown 30-meter-long corridor situated deep within the Pyramid of Khufu, the sole surviving Wonder of the Ancient World. Speaking at the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair, Hawass stated that this significant void terminates at a sealed doorway. An international research team plans to commence exploration of this passage next year, with a major announcement scheduled for 2026.

The discovery was made possible through the deployment of sophisticated, non-invasive scanning technologies, including radar, thermal imaging, and advanced muon radiography, which create detailed three-dimensional images of the pyramid's interior structure. Furthermore, remote-operated robotic systems were instrumental in accessing and cleaning the passage, which has remained shielded from human reach for millennia. The ScanPyramids project, initiated in 2015, has previously used similar methods, such as cosmic ray muon radiology, to identify other internal voids, including a large void above the Grand Gallery in 2017.

Dr. Hawass has publicly linked this latest internal structure to his ongoing pursuit of locating the tomb of Imhotep, the architect who designed the Step Pyramid of Djoser around 2600 BCE. Hawass suggested that successfully uncovering Imhotep’s resting place could constitute an archaeological achievement potentially surpassing the historical impact of Howard Carter’s 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. Imhotep is historically recognized for pioneering the transition from mud-brick to stone construction in ancient Egypt.

In a related development concerning Egyptian cultural presentation, Hawass also noted the recent inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) near the Giza Pyramids. The official opening ceremony for the GEM, the world's largest museum dedicated to a single civilization, took place on November 1, 2025. This architectural complex, which cost approximately $1.2 billion and covers 500,000 square meters, houses an extensive collection exceeding 100,000 artifacts spanning from the Predynastic Period to Roman Egypt.

Crucially, the GEM displays the complete collection of over 5,900 treasures recovered from King Tutankhamun's tomb together for the first time in a dedicated gallery. This convergence of the hidden corridor discovery and the opening of the GEM signals a new phase for Egyptology and cultural tourism. The GEM, designed by Heneghan Peng Architects, is strategically located just over a mile from the Giza Plateau, intended to help Egypt reach its goal of attracting 30 million visitors by 2030. The international team involved in the pyramid scan will issue a full scientific report detailing their findings before the scheduled public unveiling of the corridor's contents in 2026.