A dispute has arisen regarding what might be concealed beneath the Pyramids of Giza, with one of Egypt’s leading ancient history scholars dismissing assertions of an ‘underground city’ beneath the pyramids as ‘fake news.’
Italian researchers have alleged to have unearthed massive vertical shafts encircled by ‘spiral staircases’ and a vast limestone platform housing two immense chambers with descending channels reminiscent of pipelines.
In a recent news conference, the researchers disclosed the discovery of a water system situated beneath the platform, positioned over 2,100 feet below the Khafre Pyramid, with subterranean pathways extending even further into the ground.
The team used radar pulses to create high-resolution images deep into the ground beneath the structures, the same way sonar radar is used to map the depths of the ocean.
But the claims were harshly dismissed by Dr. Dr Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s foremost expert on the ancient world, who told The National they were ‘completely wrong’ and lacking any scientific basis.
He said: ‘The claim of using radar inside the pyramid is false, and the techniques employed are neither scientifically approved nor validated.’
The Italian team believes there is ‘an entire hidden world of many structures’ more than 2,000 feet below the water system
‘When we magnify the images [in the future], we will reveal that beneath it lies what can only be described as a true underground city,’ said Corrado Malanga from Italy’s University of Pisa in a statement translated to English.
A view of Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the seven wonders of the world, in Cairo, Egypt on February 25, 2025
A team of Italian researchers claimed they uncovered giant vertical shafts wrapped in ‘spiral staircases’ and a massive limestone platform containing two enormous chambers with descending channels resembling pipelines
The claims were harshly dismissed by Dr. Dr Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s foremost expert on the ancient world
The scientists’ work, which has not been peer-reviewed by independent researchers, has also suggested that ‘the Pyramid of Khafre might conceal undiscovered secrets, notably the fabled Hall of Records.’
The Hall of Records is a legendary concept often linked to ancient Egyptian lore. It is believed to be a hidden chamber beneath the Great Pyramid or the Sphinx, containing vast amounts of lost wisdom and knowledge about the ancient civilization.
Hawass was backed up by Professor Lawrence Conyers, a radar expert at the University of Denver who focuses on archaeology, who told DailyMail.com that it is not possible for the technology to penetrate that deeply into the ground, making the idea of an underground city ‘a huge exaggeration.’
However, he suggested that it is conceivable small structures, such as shafts and chambers, may exist beneath the pyramids, having been there before the pyramids were built, because the site was ‘special to ancient people
He highlighted how ‘the Mayans and other peoples in ancient Mesoamerica often built pyramids on top of the entrances to caves or caverns that had ceremonial significance to them.’
The work by Malanga, Filippo Biondi from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, and Egyptologist Armando Mei was previously discussed only in an in-person briefing in Italy.
The project’s spokesperson, Nicole Ciccolo, shared a new video of them discussing the research that has yet to be published in a scientific journal, where they would need to be analyzed by independent experts.
The team focused on the Khafre pyramid, one of three pyramids of the Giza complex. The other two are Khufu and Menkaure.
The team claimed they discovered eight cylinder-shaped structures below the Khafre, which travel more than 2,100 feet below the pyramid’s base. They identified spiral structures on the sides of the shafts
Pictured is a scan of the shafts underneath the pyramid. The vertical shafts are about 33 to 39 feet in diameter, located at a depth of at least 2,130 feet. The team suggested that the structure could be supporting the pyramid
During the press briefing, the team explained that they sent radar signals from two satellites, positioned about 420 miles above Earth, into the Khafre Pyramid, allowing them to analyze how the signals bounced back. Pictured are hidden structures identified inside the pyramid
The team claims this scan shows a ‘vast city’ hiding beneath the pyramid (shown in luminous colors)
All three were built 4,500 years ago on a rocky plateau on the west bank of the Nile River in northern Egypt, and were constructed in the name of a pharaoh.
The vertical shafts identified underneath Khafre were about 33 to 39 feet in diameter, located at a depth of at least 2,130 feet. The team suggested that the structures could be supporting the pyramid.
‘We did calculations and saw that the Khafre Pyramid is incredibly heavy, and to hold it up, it needs a solid foundation. Otherwise, it will sink,’ Malanga said.
Ciccolo also noted that the cylinder structures appeared ‘to serve as access points to this underground system.’
