How did they build the Great Pyramid of Giza?

The construction of Pharaoh Khufu's final resting place began as soon as he ascended the throne around 2575 BCE. Hemiunu, the structure's architect, estimated that finishing the royal tomb would take him 20 years. However, he was unable to foresee that this monument would continue to be the world's tallest constructed structure for more than 3,800 years. Hemiunu would have to dig a canal that was six and a half kilometers long, quarry a lot of limestone and granite, and use kilometers of rope to pull stones into place in order to build the Great Pyramid. Exactly what the Egyptians did is still the subject of heated debate today. Yet, we truly do realize that first Hemiunu required a building site. The west bank of the Nile had a bedrock plateau that could support the pyramid better than shifting sand, and Egyptians believed that death moved west like the setting sun. The plateau itself was carved by masons to resemble the stones used to build the rest of the pyramid, which saved a lot of time. Construction could start once this level foundation was in place. Fortunately, Hemiunu already had a steady supply of workers, as the project required a staggering 25,000 workers. Throughout the year, Egyptians were required to do manual labor for the government, and citizens from all over the country came to help. Worker duties included everything from making clothes and tools to handling paperwork and hard manual labor. However, these workers were not enslaved, contrary to popular belief. As a matter of fact, these residents were housed and taken care of with proportions better compared to the typical Egyptian could bear. Every three minutes, 365 days a year, one block of stone would need to be quarried, transported, and pushed into place to finish the project in 20 years. Hauling limestone from two distinct quarries required workers to work an average of 10 hours per day. One was close to the site, but its yellow stone with fossils on it was only suitable for the interior of the pyramid. Using 9-meter-long sleds made of enormous cedar trunks, exterior stones were transported approximately 13 kilometers away. Limestone is a soft rock that easily splits into straight lines when mined from the ground. However, when exposed to air, it hardens, necessitating copper chisels and wooden mallets for shaping. Over two million stones, each weighing up to 80 tons, were used in the pyramid. Additionally, there was no room for error in their shape. A catastrophic failure at the top of the pyramid could be caused by even the tiniest error at the base of the pyramid. The method by which the materials used to build the pyramids were transported and where they came from are known to researchers, but the construction itself is still a mystery. Although numerous theories exist regarding the number of ramps and their locations, most experts agree that limestone ramps were used to move the stones into place. The pyramid's exterior is only one aspect of its story. Hemiunu always needed a ready-to-use burial chamber because the pharaoh could die at any time. As a result, three distinct burial chambers were constructed during construction. The last of these, the King's Chamber, is a room made of granite with a high ceiling in the pyramid's center. It was perched atop the Grand Gallery, an 8.5-meter-tall passageway that may have served as an ancient freight elevator for moving granite up the pyramid's interior. Every support beam in the pyramid was made of granite. Dolerite rocks were used as hammers by workers to gradually quarry the stone, which was much stronger than limestone but extremely difficult to shape. Hemiunu sent 500 workers in the first year of the project to make sure the granite beams would be ready when he needed them. Twelve years later, the material would be ready. The King's Chamber is supported by five stories of granite, which prevents the pyramid from folding in on itself. The structure was covered entirely in white limestone, which was polished with sand and stone until it sparkled. In the end, a capstone was added to the top. This peak, covered in electrum and shining like gold, shone like a second sun over Egypt. Marriott Hotels provided financial support to make this video possible. With north of 590 lodgings and resorts across the globe, Marriott Inns commends the interest that moves us to travel.

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