In 2016, numerous debates erupted on the internet regarding the strange pyramid images captured on Google Earth in Antarctica.
The images appear to show three pyramids with four faces, reminiscent of the famous Giza pyramids in Egypt.
The question that has sparked discussions among researchers and conspiracy theorists alike is whether these images are real. Could they be genuine artificial pyramids created by an ancient civilization or even extraterrestrial beings?
Mysterious pyramid images in Antarctica.
Subsequently, numerous hypotheses arose regarding the origins of these pyramids. Some more controversial suggestions propose that the pyramids are remnants of the legendary Atlantis civilization that once existed in Antarctica.
Meanwhile, other researchers have proposed a natural geological explanation for the pyramids in Antarctica. Scientists suggest that the pyramids could be nunataks, which are mountain peaks that rise above the ice and are higher than the surrounding terrain. Two of the pyramids in Antarctica can be found approximately 16 kilometers from the coast, while the third pyramid is believed to be located closer to the shoreline.
The discovery of these peculiar pyramids suggests that Antarctica may have been inhabited by humans around 6,000 years ago. Research by scholar Charles Hapgood supports the existence of an ancient civilization on a continent that is currently covered in ice.
Previously, with the ancient maps of the kings of the sea, Dr. Charles Hapgood published the Piri Reis map in Antarctica. This 16th-century map shocked the world at the time as it depicted Antarctica… without ice. This has led to speculation about the existence of an unknown civilization.
This map is notable for its accuracy and detail, especially concerning regions that were largely unexplored or unknown at that time. Consequently, it has become the subject of much speculation and debate.
The Piri Reis map is a world map compiled in 1513 from military intelligence of the Ottoman Navy and cartographer Piri Reis.
Piri Reis was an outstanding naval officer and skilled cartographer of the Ottoman Empire. He was born in 1465 or 1470 in Gallipoli, a port city on the Dardanelles Strait. He began his seafaring life at a young age, initially as a government-backed privateer (essentially a licensed pirate) and later as part of the Ottoman Navy, where he rose to the rank of admiral. Piri Reis participated in many campaigns and naval battles, such as the conquest of Egypt in 1517 and the siege of Rhodes in 1522. Piri Reis was also interested in geography and cartography. He collected numerous maps and charts from various sources, including Europe, Arabia, China, and India. He also interviewed sailors, traders, and travelers who had visited many parts of the world. He used this information to compile his own maps and books on navigation and geography. |
The mystery lies in the fact that the map depicted several areas that had not been explored by humans at the time the map was created, such as the Northern Antarctic waters. How could humans accurately redraw the Northern Antarctic coastline at that time? One hypothesis suggests that this was the result of global exploration by an unknown ancient civilization.
This map was accidentally discovered in 1929 by German theologian Gustav Adolf Deissmann (1866-1937). He was commissioned by the Turkish Ministry of Education to create a catalog of non-Islamic artifacts in the Topkapi Palace Library. During this process, Deissmann stumbled upon an ancient map. Recognizing that this could be a unique find, Deissmann brought it to the attention of Orientalist Paul Kahle, who identified it as the Piri Reis map.
This discovery attracted significant interest, as it seemingly reconstructed the (lost) map of Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) from the 16th century, showing South America in accurate relation to Africa. Meanwhile, many researchers had failed for years to locate the “lost map of Columbus”, which was believed to have been drawn by Columbus during his time in the West Indies. Even after learning about the discovery of the Piri Reis map, then U.S. Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson contacted the U.S. ambassador in Turkey to seek out Columbus’s map.
The Piri Reis map utilized various sources. It included ten Arabic sources, four maps from the Americas (from the Portuguese), and one map from Columbus. Approximately one third of the surviving map shows the western coastlines of Europe and North Africa and the coast of Brazil with significant accuracy.
Fragments of the Piri Reis map showing the coast of Central and South America.
Currently, the Piri Reis map is housed in the Topkapi Palace Library (Istanbul, Turkey) but is not regularly displayed to the public. The image of this map also appeared on the reverse side of the Turkish 10 million lira banknote from 1999-2005 and the new 10 lira banknote from 2005-2009. Piri Reis is a portolan chart, represented by four rose compasses (two large and two small) radiating outward. Some analyses affirm that the Piri Reis map is an equidistant azimuthal map centered on Cairo. However, an analysis by Steven Dutch in 1998 suggests that the map’s center could be a coordinate close to the intersection of the prime meridian and the equator.
The Iberian Peninsula and the African coast are accurately depicted. In relation to Africa, the Americas, and the northern coast of South America are also represented fairly accurately. However, the area representing North America bears little resemblance to its actual coastline (which is not surprising as it was largely unexplored at that time). Most notably, the region of Queen Maud Land, along with the northern coast of Antarctica, is depicted on the Piri Reis map.
How could humans accurately redraw the Northern Antarctic coastline? It is important to note that the first human footprints on Antarctica did not occur until 1820. Additionally, there were no significant explorations of Queen Maud Land before Norwegian expeditions began in 1891. At the time the Piri Reis map was created—in 1513—the Cape Horn region had yet to be discovered, and Ferdinand Magellan’s circumnavigation did not actually set sail until six years later.
One hypothesis suggests that this was the result of global exploration by an unknown ancient civilization. This is the idea that Charles Hapgood mentioned in his book “The Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings” (1966). This book proposes a theory of global exploration by an unknown ancient civilization based on his analysis of ancient and late medieval maps. This idea is also reiterated in the works of “Chariots of the Gods” by Erich von Däniken.
Gregory McIntosh, a scholar of map history, has offered more logical insights when analyzing the Piri Reis map. Some discrepancies in the Piri Reis map, such as the appearance of the Virgin Islands at two locations, stem from the use of various maps as sources. Other inconsistencies (such as geographical errors regarding North America) may originate from confusion with the East Asian region. Additionally, considering the accuracy of the Atlantic coastline, there are two noticeable errors. First, it is depicted hundreds of miles north of its correct position. Second, the Drake Passage is completely absent, and the Antarctic Peninsula may have been overlaid with the coast of Argentina.
Determining the accuracy of the regions in the Piri Reis map corresponding to the icy Antarctic coastline remains a challenging issue. The map’s annotations indicate that this area has a warm climate, yet it is currently covered in ice. However, mainstream scholars argue that there is no reason to believe that the map is a product of authentic knowledge about the Antarctic coastline.
