The Great Pyramid of Giza
One of the most famous Wonders of the Ancient World is the Great Pyramid of Giza. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid and the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty. The pyramid, which was built during a 27-year period in the early 26th century BC, is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one that has survived largely intact. It borders present-day Giza in Greater Cairo, Egypt, as part of the Giza pyramid complex.
For more than 3,800 years, the Great Pyramid stood at 146.6 meters (481 feet) and was the tallest man-made monument in the world. Most of the smooth white limestone casing was removed over time, reducing the pyramid's height to the current 138.5 meters (454.4 ft). The base was measured to be about 230.3 meters (755.6 ft) square, with a volume of about 2.6 million cubic meters (92 million cubic feet) when an internal hillock was included.
The Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed by quarrying an estimated 2.3 million large blocks weighing a total of 6 million tonnes. The majority of the stones are not uniform in size or shape, and they are only loosely prepared. Mortar was used to hold the outer layers together. Local limestone from the Giza Plateau was primarily utilized. Other pieces were brought down the Nile by boat: white limestone from Tura for the casing and granite blocks weighing up to 80 tonnes from Aswan for the King's Chamber structure.
Inside the Great Pyramid, there are three known chambers. The lowest was a cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built, but it was never completed. The Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber, both of which contain a granite sarcophagus, are located higher up in the pyramid structure. The funerary complex surrounding the pyramid included two mortuary temples linked by a causeway (one near the pyramid and one near the Nile), tombs for Khufu's immediate family and court, three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite pyramid," and five buried solar barges.
Location: Greater Cairo, Egypt
Built: in the early 26th century BC
