Unsolved Mysteries:The Pyramids & The Face On Mars

Cydonia is a region on the planet Mars, and has attracted both scientific[1] and popular interest.[2][3] The name originally referred to the albedo feature (distinctively coloured area) that was visible from Earthbound telescopes. The area borders plains of Acidalia Planitia and the Arabia Terra highlands.[4]

The area includes the Mars regions: "Cydonia Mensae", an area of flat-topped mesa-like features, "Cydonia Colles", a region of small hills or knobs, and "Cydonia Labyrinthus", a complex of intersecting valleys.[5][6] As with other albedo features on Mars, the name Cydonia was drawn from classical antiquity, in this case from Kydonia, a historic polis (or "city-state") on the island of Crete.[7]

Cydonia contains the "face on Mars" feature — located about half-way between Arandas Crater and Bamberg Crater[4] The ESA "skull" formation is a few kilometres south of the "face".[4]