Egypt's Area 51 - Ancient Underground Complex

There's a mystery just beyond the Pyramids of Giza... around three miles away at a site called Zawyet El Aryan, also described as Egypt's Area 51. It has been blocked off for years by the military, but discussions continue to this day about what the site could tell us about Ancient Egypt.

Here's a breakdown of the history and debate surrounding this historical site.

In the early 1900s, the site was excavated by archaeologist Alessandro Barsanti, who found a 100-foot-deep T-shaped pit carved into solid limestone and lined with granite blocks, estimated to be 15 feet long and 8 feet thick, weighing up to 18,000 pounds..

Barsanti noted a discovery of an oval vat with a fitted granite lid in the heart of one chamber, which contained races of an unknown substance which has been lost in time.

Fast forward to the mid-1960s, and the Egyptian military seized control of the site, meaning no further excavations or tours could take place.

Therefore, we only have Barsant's early excavations and photos to go off on the details of the site, only further prompting mystery and intrigue.

A popular belief among Egyptologists is that it is the site of an incomplete pyramid from the 3rd or 4th Dynasties; however, whether this is the case or not remains a mystery.

Given the site has huge granite floors, limestone walls and a sealed central vat, it led some to theorize that the incomplete site was built for ceremonial purposes or perhaps as an experimental foundation.

Although there are features researchers have highlighted, including graffiti in black and red ink found inside that reads "Seba", and while the full text and meaning remain unknown, some have interpreted to be the ancient Egyptian term for a 'gateway to the stars', 'star,' 'vital essence' or 'life force.'

As you can imagine, this site has prompted debate and discussions online where independent researcher Derek Olsen weighed in with his thoughts on the structure's purpose as a vessel for space or spiritually related exploration. He believes the graffiti is the ancient Egyptian word for 'gateway to the stars' and that the structure was built back in the day for space travel. But mainstream scientists disagree; instead, they believe the graffiti was in reference either to the name of a builder or a figure from back in those ancient times.

The huge granite blocks are also a question mark. One expert asked, “"Why would you need a 10-foot-tall granite block on the floor, when it's naturally limestone [on the ground]. How they fashion that the limestone walls are mindboggling. And why? What is the tub for? What would the original purpose of it be? ?"

The tub mentioned refers to the one found on the site with a granite lid, which measures 10 feet long, 7 feet wide, and 5 feet deep, indicating it was meant to be a closed container.