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06/10/2020

The Egyptian pyramids are one of the defining architectural achievements of the ancient world. As an incredible feat of engineering, Egyptologists are still discovering more about these structures with each passing year. The Giza pyramid complex has drawn visitors from around the world since the days of the Grand Tour and children around the world who study the mysteries of ancient Egypt can’t help but associate the pyramids with the grand pharaohs of yesteryear.

Still shrouded in mystery, the pyramids don’t reveal their secrets easily. But over time, scholars have come to learn many surprising facts about ancient Egypt through them. Technical prowess mixed with mythology and superstition led the pharaohs to construct these formidable structures, which have proven to be some of the most indestructible pieces of architecture ever created. So while you think you may have learned all you need to know about the Egyptian pyramids in school, there’s a lot left to discover.

Ready to learn 7 facts you may not know about the ancient Egyptian pyramids?
Ancient step pyramid in Saqqara,
Step pyramid in Saqqara. (Photo: meunierd via Shutterstock)



THEY WEREN’T ALL POINTED.
All pyramids aren’t created equal. In fact, just as with many building types, there are distinct phases to pyramid construction. The earliest pyramids aren’t the pointed structures we most commonly think of but were actually flat.

Many examples are found in the vast Saqqara burial ground located in what was Ancient Egypt’s capital, Memphis. The pyramids here are the earliest known and include the Pyramid of Djoser. Built during the third dynasty and designed by architect Imhotep, it was constructed between 2630 BCE and 2611 BCE. It’s considered one of the world’s oldest monuments made of cut masonry and is not, in fact, pointed.

Instead, it’s a step pyramid where Imhotep had mastabas (Egyptian tombs) of diminishing size stacked on top of one another. This typology is found in many cultures from the Borobudur Temple in Indonesia to the El Castillo pyramid built by the Maya in Chichen Itza.



MOST PYRAMIDS WERE BUILT WEST OF THE NILE.
Ancient Egyptian culture is full of symbolism and superstitions that guided decision making. So it should come as no surprise that even the location of the ancient pyramids were guided by mythology.

Most were built on the west bank of the Nile, and for a distinct reason. As the pyramids were the final resting places of pharaohs, it only makes sense they should reside where their souls can begin their journey into the afterlife. For ancient Egyptians, the afterlife and the sun were closely intertwined. Osiris, an Egyptian god closely connect with the afterlife, represented the strength of new life. Over time, he also became associated with the cycle of the sun and how it brought new growth from dormant seeds.

Thanks to this association, the setting sun came to symbolize death and the sun “died” in the west each night. The souls of the pharaohs were meant to connect with the setting sun before rising again in the morning, a symbol of eternal life. By placing pyramids to the west of the Nile, they lived right in the area that metaphorically signified death.



Wall Painting at Djehutihotep
Schematic drawing of wall painting found in the tomb of Djehutihotep that depicts water pouring in front of a sled. (Photo: sir john gardner wilkinson [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

WE’RE STILL FIGURING OUT HOW THEY WERE BUILT.
One of the biggest mysteries about the Egyptian pyramids is the construction techniques used to erect them. The incredible feat of the Egyptians is all the more impressive when taking into consideration that over 2 million limestone and granite blocks were used to build the Great Pyramid of Giza. Each piece of masonry weighed about 2.5 tons (2.3 metric tons).

So how were these giant blocks moved? Unfortunately, the Egyptians didn’t leave behind written records, and many theories have been proposed over the years. A 2014 study theorized that it could be as easy as water and sand. A wall painting dating back to 1900 BCE depicts a procession of men pulling a large statue on a sled as one person stands at the front pouring water over sand. Though it was originally thought that the gesture was purely ceremonial, there is scientific evidence that this painting holds the key to unlocking the mystery of how they moved all that weight.

Researchers experimented pulling large amounts of weight on a sled across sand and found that when they added the right amount of water, the job was significantly easier. The dampness of the sand greatly reduced friction by up to as much as 50%, making it much more feasible to haul large amounts of weight.



THE EGYPTIANS USED ASTRONOMY TO GUIDE CONSTRUCTION.
According to a British Egyptologist, the stars were a guiding force in how the pyramids were aligned. Kate Spence of Cambridge University published research in 2000 that demonstrates how the Big Dipper and Little Dipper were used to align the pyramids in a north-south direction.

So accurate were their measurements that they only have a margin of error of up to 0.05 degrees. Interestingly, with this information in hand, it’s possible to date the pyramids using astronomical records.



Facts About the Egyptian Pyramids
Photo: Merydolla via Shutterstock



THEY WEREN’T BUILT BY SLAVES.
The long-held theory that the pyramids were built by slaves might not actually be true. It was the Greek historian Herodotus who helped spread the idea that slaves built the pyramids through his writing. It’s a concept that was then propagated by Hollywood, but might not be true. In the 1990s, the graves of pyramid builders were discovered. Egyptologists are quite sure they were not slaves, but rather builders who came from lower income families.

Their burial in a tomb shows that their role in building the pyramids was an honor, and certainly was not a treatment that would have been given to slaves.



THE GREAT PYRAMID CAN TELL TIME.
The Great Pyramid of Giza is not only the most recognized of Egypt’s pyramids, it’s also the only of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that’s still standing. The Great Pyramid is impressive for many reasons, but one of the most interesting characteristics of this celebrated monument is that it can also tell time. The structure actually acts as an enormous sundial, with its shadow telling the hour by falling on marks made in the stone.

Of course, being the Great Pyramid, it couldn’t be just any old sundial. Its level of sophistication meant that it not only told time, but was able to signal solstices and equinoxes and therefore helped the Egyptians define the solar year.

Masonry of the Great Pyramids
Masonry that forms the Great Pyramids. (Photo: Fedor Sidorov via Shutterstock



ARCHAEOLOGISTS ARE STILL UNCOVERING THE MYSTERIES OF THE PYRAMIDS.
Egyptology is a highly active field, with researchers moving away from reading inscriptions, but continuing to excavate and use technology to answer the many mysteries still left to be revealed. For instance, the recent discovery of a 4,500-year-old ramp north of Luxor is giving scholars clues into how the ancient Egyptians may have hauled masonry long distances.

Close to the Saqqara burial site, the discovery of cat mummies and hundreds of wooden cat statues in a tomb also show just how much there still is to explore and uncover about the Ancient Egyptians.

30/09/2020

Not a lot of Nigerians know about the real owners of Abuja, the Gbagyi people, whose land was reclaimed from them to form the seat of power.
Somewhere deep in the obscure lands of Abuja, Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory, are the indigenous people of Gbagyi or Gwari, who were the original settlers in the town before it was even carved out to be the seat of power.

In 1976, the then military government had the bright idea to find a 'no-man's land' in the geographic centre of the country, which no one group could lay claim to, and an area in which Nigerians could unite under.

Except the 8,000 square kilometres of land upon which the capital stood, which includes the Presidential Villa, the National Assembly or parliament, dozens of Federal Government parastatals and institutions, and suburban neighbourhoods and malls, was somebody's land, the Gbagyi.

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They were hurriedly forced off their land by the military government to make way for the construction of the new capital, and promised compensation and resettlement. The government also grossly underestimated the number of Gbagyi people living on the territory as they continued with their plan for the area.

Many displaced families were given housing, but some lived in transit and settlements camps for a long while and compensation plans were bungled.

Now, decades later, the ethnic group still feel that the federal government has shortchanged them, and deprived them of their lands and heritage.

However, in this article, the rich culture and heritage of the Gbagyi people will be highlighted.

Brief history
Gbagyi or Gwari (also spelled Gbari) are peaceful, agriculturalist, artistic and Nupoid-speaking people living in North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria. They predominantly live in the Niger, Kaduna States and the Federal Capital Territory. They are also found in Nasarawa and Kogi States in central Nigerian Area. Gbagyi is the most populated ethnic Group and indigenous in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, where their major occupation is farming.

According to oral tradition, the first settler was a hunter who went to hunt in Paikokun land, a thick forest in Abuja. Paikokun was the name of the mountain where the first settler inhabited.

The Gbagyi people initially used to live on mountain tops because they believed they were safer on the mountain than at the plain before western civilization made most of them relocate to the plain.

ALSO READ: 8 adventurous things you must do while in Abuja

How to spot Gbagyi
Very unique to the Gbagyi women is the placing of goods however heavy on their shoulder. They believe the head represents the king of the entire body, hence, it should not be disturbed. They call the part of their body they place their goods as Bwapa. They also believe the load feel lighter on their shoulders than on their heads. It is very much still in practice till date.

Marriage
Marriage among the people of Gbagyi is soaked in deep tradition. When a man announces his interest in a woman, he would have to serve 7 years in the bride’s father’s farm, labouring and supplying grains and other produce to the bride’s house in order for her to be well fed. Nowadays, the groom simply pay the bride’s price instead of serving 7 years in the bride’s father’s house.

Gbagyi people: About the real owners of Abuja
Gbagyi people: About the real owners of Abuja
Religion
In their traditional religion, some Gbayi believe in a God called Shekwoi, the one who was there before their ancestors, but they also devote themselves to appeasing deities of the god such as Maigiro.

Indigenously, their main religion is Knunu, which they believe protects them from the evil that exist in the community. They worship the Knunu by offering fowl and beer as a sacrifice to a special tree found deep in the forest.

With westernisation, Islam became more prominent among the people after the Fulani jihad while Christianity was introduced to the people by the Sudan Interior Mission, also known locally as Evangelical Church of Africa. The Gbagyi people found it easy to embrace Islam more than Christianity because some practices of Islam such as devotion, using of amulets and polygamy were also practised in their indigenous religion.

Food
The Gwari people enjoy eating a meal known as Wyizhe. It is made from Guinean corn which is also used to make a special drink known as Zhepwo. The Gwari people also enjoy drinking a soup known as Knadolo made from locust beans.

Clothing
The Gbagyi people wear tie and dye clothing known as Ajeside, made from local cotton and traditional woven and dyed.

Occupation
The Gbagyi people are mostly farmers although they are also good in wood fetching, pottery, and blacksmith.

The Gbagyi people were also well known for their visual art most especially pottery. Other arts practised by the Gwari people are sculpture, iron smelting, domestic craft and smelting.

30/09/2020

22/09/2020

It’s impossible to miss Zuma Rock – standing at 725 meters (2,379 ft), it majestically presides over the surrounding landscape. Visitors here will often notice that there is an unusual silence when travelling the highway in the area… Here’s why Zuma Rock is surrounded by myth and legends.

A rock with facial features
Yes you read right! Zuma Rock has natural contours on the surface which depict the image of a human face with a visible mouth, eyes, and nose. The natives of the community believe the face represents the deity and ancestral powers protecting and governing the affairs of the community. The Gwari people also acknowledge the rock as a gateway for the after life, It is believed that when people die, their spirits go to the rock.

The rock catches fire during the rainy season
The rainy season in Nigeria between April and October comes with another myth surrounding Zuma Rock – it is reported that the apex of the rock often catches fire. Natives attest the happenings to the wonders of the deities and voodoo spells. However, scientists object to the belief. Dr. Kistso Ngargbu, a geologist and lecturer at Nasarawa State University,Keffi, notes that:

“If it is after rainfall and a particular boulder or broken pieces of the rock got saturated with water, that’s the contact between heat and the main rock body. In the event that it had to slide because water now serves as a lubricating surface, friction is created. We should remember that our forefathers used to make fire from rocks glided against each other. That is what could have happened. Rain water got to the surface, lubricated the boulder and then generated a sliding probably based on a sloppy surface, and in the event of sliding down the fire came up”.

It served as a hideout against external forces
There is no precise account pertaining to the origin of the rock, however, Zuma Rock is said to have been first located in a thick forest by the people of Zuba in the 15th century upon the instruction of their soothsayer. The Zuba people named the rock, “Zumwa”, which means “the place of catching guineafowls” upon finding out that there were many within the forest. At their arrival in the forest, they settled around it and constructed settlements, and later discovered the spiritual representation of the rock as a powerful deity. They turned to worshipping and offering sacrifices to the rock to protect them and keep them safe from evil. Over time, the people of Gwari used the rock as a defense and hideout against invading neighboring tribes and external forces.

It protects against a disastrous outburst
Another yet interesting myth suggests that the Zuma Rock sits on a very large expanse of underground water. it is believed that if the rock is pulled down, there will be an outburst of water which will submerge an unimaginable land area.

Fun facts
The famous Zuma Rock features on Nigeria’s 100 Naira currency banknote.

16/09/2020

The rocky cliffs climbing into a blue sky, a moss-lined footpath, small green hills and a lake that shimmers in the sun are quite breath-taking and a set of images shared on Twitter at the beginning of August has been liked more than a thousand times.

In a matter of days of the post, the site, known as Crushed Rock, in Mpape - a poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of the capital Abuja - was thronged.

There has been a DJ stand, food vendors, hundreds of sun-bathing selfie-takers - and even a band of classical musicians.

Nigerians are not generally known to be outdoor lovers - the weather is very hot in the north and quite humid in the south.

However, there is a burgeoning community of hikers around Abuja inspired by the many expatriates living in the political capital.
The coronavirus pandemic has also had a part to play in encouraging these young middle-class Nigerians to explore the hills in the country's rocky central region.

The lockdown, which prevented people from travelling elsewhere, has meant that places closer to home are being explored.
The area around Mpape, which means "rock" in the local Gwari language, supplied much of the stone used to transform Abuja from a small village in the 1980s into the country's capital city.

"The quarry has existed for more than 10 years," said Mpape resident Courage Ebenz, who is somewhat bemused by the sudden influx of city-dwellers.
Nigeria has an abundance of sites of natural beauty, but this "man-made" location has its own appeal - with three main tiers that each give a stunning view of the water below.

Sightseers can choose a small winding footpath to the top terrace, where the grass is an ideal picnic location.
The more adventurous can continue down the path that circles and snakes down to the water's edge.

But a warning for the brave who might want to plunge into the water - the locals say it is full of abandoned machinery.

09/09/2020

Gurara Water Fall: Fascinating Things About The Picnic hotspot Located in Niger State, North Central Nigeria, the Gurara Waterfalls is one of Nigeria's famous tourist attractions. It is one of the natural habitats that the nation is blessed with and serves as a destination for travelers and fun lovers. Below are thrilling facts about the beautiful waterfall.

The Gurara Waterfalls was discovered in 1745 by a Gwari hunter called Buba, as he was travelling from Zaria to hunt for animals.

Gurara waterfalls sits between Suleja and Minna in Nigeria State, about an hour’s drive from Abuja, the country's capital.

History has it that the Gurara falls and river were named after two gods once worshipped by Gwari people: Gura and Rara.

The community around the waterfalls used to worship the falls. If they had any problems, they used to go to the waterfall to pray and make sacrifices.

When some Europeans discovered the falls in 1925, they turned it into a recreational area, and so the sacrifices were stopped.

The Gurara river is a large tributary of the famous River Niger and is most impressive after the rainy season when the water becomes a raging torrent while in January, during the dry season and when water levels are low, there are clear pools at the bottom of the falls in which visitors can swim.

As well as being an area of outstanding natural beauty the area surrounding Gurara Waterfall is also a fantastic place for bird watching.

Small streams diverted from the main Gurara River running softly around rocks on top of the cliff, converging from scores tributaries in the narrow rugged pass and dashing out from the cliff with almighty power.

The river and the falls itself is noted to have great potentials for sport fishing and wildlife viewing. It has also been said that there’s an area, down the river channel where one can find crocodiles living in their natural habitat.

It is the favourite feasting spot for herd of cattle that feed on the sparse short grasses carpeting the river banks.

The environment is pristine, with lots of trees and shrubbery providing healing fresh oxygen, which animates the brain.

It is safest to swim in the river during dry season i.e. January-March, when the water is clean and calm.

The water, shining under the sun, as beautiful as fireworks, fell into a pond some 20 meters below.

The fall is at its peak between April and November, and at its lowest between January and March.

The waterfall spans about 300 meters across and drops 50 meters below.
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