Great Pyramid of Khufu
Pyramid of Cheops · Akhet Khufu
Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty·Ancient Egyptian·🇪🇬 Giza Governorate, Egypt
About
About Great Pyramid of Khufu
Only surviving Wonder of Ancient World: 146.6 m limestone pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), 2580–2560 BCE, 2.3 million blocks, internal King's Chamber with relieving chambers and ascending/descending passages. Accuracy to 0.06° cardinal alignment.
Why it mattersParadigm of Old Kingdom centralized state; orientation precision unmatched until modern surveys.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Ramp configuration debate
- 02Workforce organization
Theories
- 01Straight/corkscrew ramp hypotheses
- 02Seasonal labour from villages
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 2580–2560 BCE
- Period
- Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty
- Culture
- Ancient Egyptian
- Purpose
- Royal tomb for pharaoh Khufu
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 2580–2560 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1359 CE
Abandonment
On the ground
Structures & features
29.9792° N · 31.1342° E · 60 m · 4 mapped features
King's Chamber
chamberGranite chamber with sarcophagus
29.9792° N · 31.1344° EGrand Gallery
passage8.6 m high corbelled corridor
29.9791° N · 31.1343° EQueen's Chamber
chamberCentral chamber
29.9790° N · 31.1342° ESubterranean Chamber
chamberCut into bedrock
29.9789° N · 31.1341° E
Gallery