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In a digital age where mysteries can unfold from the comfort of your home, one eagle-eyed Google Maps user may have stumbled upon something truly curious—just a stone’s throw from one of the world’s most iconic landmarks.
The sighting, which has stirred debate on Reddit’s r/AlternativeHistory forum, centers around a suspicious-looking complex located approximately five miles south of the Great Pyramid of Khufu in Egypt. The coordinates—29°54’23″N 31°08’02″E—pinpoint what appears to be a structured facility in the middle of the desert, but its true purpose remains a topic of speculation.
“What in the Stargate is this?” asked the original poster, referring to the cult sci-fi series, as they shared a satellite image of the location. “I can’t find it labeled on any maps. Is anybody here familiar with this place?”
That question quickly sparked a flurry of theories from curious netizens. Some were quick to dismiss it as nothing out of the ordinary, labeling it a military installation—possibly an ammunition storage bunker or even an anti-aircraft missile or radar site.
Supporting this theory, one user pointed to a 2005 post on the satellite image-sharing site Virtual Globetrotting, where someone had identified a similar layout, suggesting it was a Soviet-era SA-2 missile battery. According to that user, the distinctive revetments (earth-covered protective structures) matched the configuration often used to spread launchers across a wide area, enhancing coverage and defense capabilities.
“The northern revetments look empty,” they observed, “but the southern ones might still have launchers. The mounds likely serve as platforms to elevate radar equipment, which can dramatically improve signal range in the flat desert.”
Others chimed in with differing opinions, speculating the site might be used for radar surveillance or part of a defense grid.
But not everyone is convinced by the military angle. The lack of official labeling and the site’s proximity to ancient monuments has fueled alternative theories ranging from hidden archaeological zones to covert operations and even extraterrestrial involvement.
And this isn’t the first time Google Maps has captured something mysterious. Earlier this year, users discovered a disc-shaped structure in New Mexico at coordinates 34°24’21.6″N 107°05’44.5″W, about 34 miles from the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. That image quickly spiraled into theories of a crashed UFO, with some insisting it looked like it had embedded itself into a hillside, partially hidden by brush.
Others, however, took a more grounded approach, identifying the object as a satellite calibration target—a known type of man-made structure used to fine-tune imaging systems in orbit.
Mysteries in the Modern Age
These types of sightings highlight how platforms like Google Maps are giving amateur sleuths and conspiracy theorists new ways to scan the planet for the unexplained. Whether it’s a Cold War relic in Egypt or a peculiar disc in the New Mexican desert, one thing’s for sure—the world still holds many secrets, even in the age of high-definition satellite surveillance.
So, is the desert structure near the Giza pyramids just an old missile base? A forgotten military site? Or could it be something more mysterious, hidden in plain sight?
Only time—and perhaps a ground expedition—will tell.
