The latest sign of what might lie hidden in the Great Pyramid of Giza surfaced last week when Egyptologist Zahi Hawass spoke at the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair about a project he said would culminate in 2026 with the unveiling of a “new archaeological discovery,” according to Al Arabiya. “A great archaeological discovery that will write a new chapter in the history of the pharaohs,” said Hawass.
He explained that scanning technologies uncovered a previously unknown 30-meter corridor inside Khufu’s pyramid. Robots reached and cleaned openings once out of human reach, and the team has pinpointed the corridor’s location, although its contents remain undisclosed until 2026.
While in Sharjah, Hawass outlined how Old Kingdom engineers built the monument, describing ramp systems and quarry logistics while rejecting fringe theories. “No extraterrestrial beings or supernatural forces were involved,” said Hawass, according to Al Arabiya.
He added that thermal imaging, 3-D mapping and muon-radiography helped detect the passage and will guide additional data collection before the corridor is opened, a step he promised would occur in time for the 2026 announcement.
The session also let Hawass revisit his campaign to repatriate artifacts such as the Bust of Nefertiti, the Rosetta Stone and the Celestial Sphere. “A historical and civilizational right that must be restored,” said Hawass, referring to their return, according to Al Arabiya.
Hawass noted that the recent opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which displays more than 5,000 objects from Tutankhamun’s tomb, has intensified global interest in Egyptian antiquities and set the stage for the 2026 pyramid reveal.
Using evidence from quarries, workers’ villages and logistics records, Hawass described how crews transported and placed limestone and granite blocks without modern machinery. He said the same data-driven approach, supported by non-invasive sensors, revealed the corridor and continues to guide work inside the pyramid.
Hawass declined to speculate on what lies at the passage’s end, saying the international team would release findings only after exhaustive analysis and would issue a scientific report before the 2026 unveiling.
Written with the help of a news-analysis system.