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Country | # of Pyramids↓ | |
|---|---|---|
| Sudan | 255 | |
| Egypt | 118 | |
| United States | 35 | |
| Peru | 26 | |
| Mexico | 20 | |
| Belize | 10 | |
| Guatemala | 8 | |
| Ireland | 8 | |
| Honduras | 3 | |
| Bolivia | 2 | |
| El Salvador | 2 | |
| China | 1 | |
| United Kingdom | 1 | |
| France | 1 | |
| Italy | 1 | |
| North Korea | 1 | |
| Cambodia | 1 | |
| Total | 493 |
Pyramids are found all over the world. Researchers are making discoveries using innovative technology like light detection and ranging (LIDAR) to scan jungles. This means the list of discovered pyramids is constantly changing. There are many thousands of them.
Here are some of the countries in the world with pyramids.
Egypt has about 135 pyramids that have been discovered. The Great Pyramid of Giza near Cairo, Egypt and the smaller ones nearby, along with the Sphinx, make up the world’s most well-known site of pyramids. Originally thought to be tombs for Egyptian Pharaohs, some think they are power-generating systems instead.
Nearby Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt. Around 240 pyramids were found in Sudan. They are called the Nubian pyramids. They were built by the Kushite kingdoms.
There are ten discovered Nsude pyramids in Nigeria.
Niger has two pyramids and a sphinx found there.
Fabulous Mayan pyramids like El Castillo in Chichen Itza and Calakmul are found in the Yucatan Peninsula. Aztec pyramids like Tenochtitlan are located in the central part of the country, near Mexico City. Also found in this area is the Step Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl. It was built during the Toltec Empire in the ancient city of Tula. The Great Pyramid of Cholula is the largest pyramid on Earth, even bigger than the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Tikal in northern Guatemala contains six large step pyramids.
The step pyramids in the ancient city of Copan are in Honduras near the border of Guatemala.
Machu Picchu is a famous ancient city discovered in Peru, but there are no pyramids there. At least 30 pyramids have been found in other parts of Peru. One interesting site is the lost city of Caral.
Using innovative technology, researchers scan large jungle areas to uncover vast cities hidden from view that include pyramids. These are the oldest pyramids in the world, predating the ones in Egypt. There are estimated to be up to 1,000 or more lost pyramids in Brazil, yet to be discovered.
There are many pyramids in China used as burial mounds. A legendary one called the Great White Pyramid of Xi’an is a mystery. Although old photos exist, it is not certain whether the pyramid is real or not.
Candi Sukuh is a step pyramid temple in Central Java, Indonesia.
The Ziggurat of Ur is a massive step pyramid from the time of the Sumerians.
Discovered in Visoko, Bosnia, are the so-called Bosnian pyramids. Some think they are mountainous hills.