KHUFU

The secrets of the construction of the Great Pyramid

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Another busy start to the year in Cairo for Jean-Pierre Houdin, with several visits for conferences. On January 18, in the presence of the Ambassador, at the monthly luncheon of the Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur de la France. On March 15, French University of Egypt in Shorouk. On March 21, Rotary Cairo. On May 8, Mubarak Library, on the occasion of the publication of his book "KHUFU, the secrets behind the construction of the Great Pyramid", preface by Dr Hawass, cover by Raphaël Thierry and published by Farid Atiya Press. The book is very well received in the press: full-page articles in Al-Ahram Hebdo, Le Progrès Egyptien, Al-Ahram International and, above all, page 4 of the New York Times on May 27, 2006. The book is eventually published in 4 languages: French, English, German and Italian.

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In February, Dassault Systèmes, Jean-Pierre Houdin and the ACGP sign a "technical sponsorship" agreement, as part of the "Passion for Innovation" program headed by Mehdi Tayoubi, to develop the theory with the 3D software publisher. It is the start of a long-standing collaboration that would make it known the world over. Jean-Pierre Houdin is trained in CATIA software by Eric Alix, training engineer.

At the same time, Jean-Pierre Houdin continues his research. In collaboration with Denis Denoël, a member of the ACGP and the CST, new updatees are made regarding the counterweight system.

 

On May 18, Jean-Pierre Houdin receives the Prix Montgolfier "Construction et Beaux-Arts" awarded by the S.E.I.N. (Société d'Encouragement pour l'Industrie Nationale - founded in 1802) for his work on Khufu’s Pyramid.

 

During the summer, Jean-Pierre Houdin is once again in Cairo, lobbying Egyptian personalities involved in antiquities (Egyptologists, members of the Supreme Council) and Dr Hawass himself, to try and move the project forward. Despite all the efforts made over the past year, obtaining authorization for a mission appears extremely difficult.

Fortunately, the collaboration with Dassault Systèmes is excellent, and the models and simulations demonstrate the technical plausibility of the theory, which is the first in the world to be validated virtually by replicating real-life conditions. The Khufu team at Dassault Systèmes, supported by the young start-up Emissive, is also doing a remarkable job in preparing a real-time 3D animation of the pyramid construction site, which will be revealed in the first quarter of 2007.

During a further visit to Cairo in mid-November, Jean-Pierre Houdin is invited to the evening presentation of Dr Hawass' latest book  "The Mountains of the Pharaos" at the Cairo Museum. In this book, he refers on page 62 to Jean-Pierre Houdin and the internal ramp: "A new theory, proposed by French architect Jean-Pierre Houdin, suggests that this spiral ramp actually lay just inside the outer face of the pyramid".

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The ACGP can count on new sponsors, as the seriousness of the project it supports is recognized by all.