A TOWERING mountain that rises suddenly from the flat Amazon rainforest is cloaked in mystery.
Cerro el Cono, the steep pyramid-shaped rock, stands tall and alone – leading locals to believe it was “built for the Gods”.
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The 1,310ft-tall peak shoots up from Sierra del Divisor National Park in eastern Peru, near the border with Brazil.
Its shape is striking similar to the pyramids of Giza – with broad, flat sides that have been covered in vegetation over centuries.
Both the clean-cut shape and the random position amid a flat plain have led to various theories about the origin of El Cono.
Indigenous tribes worship the structure as a sacred mountain spirit known as “Andean Apu”, which they say rose from the ground to protect the surrounding people.
The belief dates from a time before the Inca Empire – between 500 and 1000 AD.
But another theory predates even that ancient myth.
A local legend tells that El Cono sits atop the ruins of an ancient pyramid built by a forgotten Amazon civilisation.
Research into local folklore has found that some of the indigenous tribes believe the mountain is man-made, just like the Giza pyramids.
If this were proven true, then El Cono would be the tallest ancient structure on Earth – towering over Giza by 481ft.
Scientists have less interesting theories about how the mountain came to be – including that it is an extinct volcano or simply an unusual rock formation.
Cerro El Cono stands adjacent to the Ucayali River – which is a major feeder to the Amazon River.
The surrounding jungle is bursting with life and an incredible variety of species – including the elusive giant armadillo and different kinds of monkey.
In light of the new research, El Cono could join the growing list of ancient structures that are the subject of imaginative speculation.
There is another mountain which has aroused speculation over its perfect pyramid shape.
It lies in a very different climate, in a far corner of Antarctica.
The snowy structure of the ice-locked continent has a striking resemblance to the great pyramids of Egypt – and has been the centre of eerie conspiracy theories.
It was first discovered by the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1913, but only became famous in 2016 when its eerie pictures went viral on the internet.
People from all around the world put forward their bizarre explanations to justify the shape of Antarctica’s pyramid mountain.
With a height of 4,150 feet, all four sides of the mountain are steep and appear to be in perfect symmetry.
The peak is part of the Ellsworth Mountains – the highest mountain range in Antarctica.