A remarkable discovery within the Great Pyramid of Giza could potentially reshape our understanding of ancient Egypt, one of the country’s most renowned Egyptologists has said.
The claims were made by Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass, who recently hinted at a tantalizing discovery that will come to light sometime in 2026, adding that he expects it will “rewrite history” and offer new insights into the ancient history of Egypt and its rulers.
The 78-year-old Egyptologist made comments during an appearance at the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair, where he described the mysterious discovery as one that will “write a new chapter in the history of the Pharaohs.”
A New Discovery at Giza’s Great Pyramid
Hawass, Egypt’s former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, has conducted work at many of the country’s most renowned archaeological sites in the Western Desert and Nile Delta, among other locations.
During the recent event, Hawass offered additional clues about the forthcoming revelation, stating that “This great discovery is a new 30-meter-long passageway,” which he said had been “detected using advanced equipment,” and appears to lead to a concealed doorway within the Great Pyramid.
Remote sensing technologies and advanced robotic systems helped Hawass and his collaborators make the discovery, which was uncovered in areas within the ancient monument that could to be reached before the modern era.
This is not the first time such discoveries have been announced. In 2023, the identification of a nine-meter-long corridor was announced by the ScanPyramids project, building on earlier discoveries that included the detection of an unusual area within the structure, which researchers characterized as a “void” first discovered in 2017.
Tantalizing Clues
Along with the description the former Antiquities Minister provided about the discovery of the 30-meter-long passageway, Hawass further hinted that the new revelations may have to do with two other long-held pursuits of his professional Egyptological career. These include the discovery of the tombs of Imhotep, widely recognized by historians as Egypt’s first architect, and that of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, the wife of the Pharaoh Akhenaten and half-sister of the famed King Tutankhamun.
Hawass’s statements have led to speculations that the discoveries might be related to the discovery of Imhotep’s tomb, although the famed ancient Egyptian architect lived during the 3rd Dynasty, predating the construction of the Great Pyramid by close to a century.
Imhotep is credited with the construction of the famous Step Pyramid at Saqqara for the 3rd Dynasty Pharaoh Djoser, which served as the template for the construction of later similar buildings that would build on and refine the now-famous pyramid design.
Hawass refrained from commenting on what lies beyond the passage within the Great Pyramid, saying that the forthcoming announcement next year by an international team of researchers will provide deeper insights only following a thorough analysis of the data they obtained, which was collected using 3D mapping technologies and muon-radiography.
Nonetheless, Hawass maintained that the discovery of Imhotep’s tomb would be one of the most important discoveries in the history of archaeology, calling it perhaps even greater than the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922. Among the discoveries Hawass teased, he also seemed to indicate that he has knowledge of where Imhotep’s tomb may be located.
Recovery of Egyptian Antiquities
During the event, Hawass also spoke of the Grand Egyptian Museum, a project first announced in the early 1990s and finally coming to fruition with its opening in 2023.
The former Antiquities Minister called it “one of the greatest museums in the world,” noting its impressive collection of “more than 5,000 artifacts from the treasures of King Tutankhamun,” which are now on public display for the first time in history.
Hawass is currently involved in efforts by the Egyptian authorities to repatriate the country’s antiquities, many of which were removed from the country more than a century ago and are presently being kept in museums around the world.
Hawass called the return of these artifacts to their homeland “a historical and civilizational right that must be restored.”
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.