subject: I Thought You Could Only Find Pyramids in Egypt [print this page] Tenerife is an Island known for its luxurious beaches and the second most visited national park in the world - the Teide National Park.The island is a popular tourist destination, especially with most Europeans staying in some of the most beautiful apartments in Tenerife. But if you were to ask them where the pyramids are, nine times out of ten they would say "in Egypt". They are, of course, right - but I wonder how many would know that there are also pyramids in Tenerife.
You see in the town of Guimar there are six rectangular pyramid shaped structures that have been on the island since the 19th century. These are the Pyramids of Guimar that can be found in the district of Chacona.. They were built from lava stone without the aid of any mortar and their original function was a by product of contemporary agricultural techniques, although many researchers and the local authorities consider them to be stone terraces due to the way they look.
It was the research from Thor Heyerdahl that made showed that they are in fact pyramids. Thor had done extensive research on the pyramids in Egypt and Peru, and in 1990 he had found out about the "Canarian Pyramids" by reading newspaper that had an article about them, with lines such as the "real pyramids on the Canaries". This intrigued him and he decided to relocate to Tenerife and research these pyramids. He drew comparisons to the Canarian terrace structures and pyramid structures in Egypt and Mesoamerica ceremonial areas that can be found in Central America. He came to the conclusion that periods were formed to be a temporally stopping point on voyages between ancient Egypt and Maya Civilisation .
Over the next 7 years further research was done to the extent that numerous excavations were carried. Thor had received financial support from his friend, a Canarian businessman who went by the name of Fred Olsen, who owned the largest transport company in the Canary islands.
There are images that show that in the past that there were many similar structures that were found in other locations all over the island, these were known as Morras, Majanos, Molleros, or Paredones. But over time they were taken down and converted into cheap materials for buildings and other things. In Guimar there were originally nine pyramids but over time that has number dwindled down to six.
If wanted to visit these Pyramids but were worried there isn't much more to do, you couldn't be more wrong. Guimar, just like a lot of the other places in Tenerife, has fantastic sandy beaches but also the good thing about Guinmar is that that it isn't as commercialised as the other parts of Tenerife - especially those located around the south coast of the island. There are also other building structures that are just as alluring, like churches that date back to the 15th century, so it is a holiday spot that is just as good as the other surrounding it.
