Pyramids of Guimar,Tenerife Canary Islands
Sunset, Canary Islands
Many people visit the Canary Islands every year to enjoy the sunshine, beaches, and many resorts that dot the islands!
Very few realize the islands boast many pyramids, which are well worth seeing. Most of the pyramids are located near the town of Guimar on the Island of Tenerife.
Located on the east side of the island, near the south end, the pyramids were first discovered by the famous explorer Thor Heyerdahl.
According to reports, the pyramids were described as just piles of rocks or agricultural terraces made by farmers. Upon observing the pyramids Thor didn't agree and was so impressed by them, he remained to study them during the last years of his life.
Resembling step pyramids found in Egypt, Mexico and Peru, the question remains, who built them, and when?
One of the theories is that they were built by the Guanches, the original inhabitants of The Canary Islands. Although the Guanches were thought to not have the technical abilities needed to build the pyramids, they did mummify their dead as the Egyptians,and they also knew about pyramid design as has been illustrated on their artistic seals known as pintaderas.
There is much evidence the pyramids were aligned astronomically and it has been theorized they were used for ceremonies at special times of the year, such as the solstices and equinoxes. Not only are the pyramids located on the south of the island, they can be seen on the west side of the island and in the north as well.
Although no one knows for sure who built them, most of them are located in areas of the island the Guanches inhabited. Could these ancient inhabitants be the same peoples that immigrated to Egypt and constructed the pyramids in that ancient land? Are they remnants of a great society that possibly existed in this part of the world,before recorded history,and before the ancient Egyptian empire rose from the ashes?
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