The Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one still largely intact. Built around 2560 BCE as a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu, it stood as the world's tallest man-made structure for over 3,800 years. The pyramid contains approximately 2.3 million stone blocks weighing between 2.5 and 15 tons each, with some granite blocks from Aswan weighing up to 80 tons. It was originally covered in smooth white limestone casing stones that reflected sunlight brilliantly — making it visible from hundreds of kilometers away. How it was built remains one of history's great debates. No contemporary written record of its construction survives. We know it took approximately 20 years and the labor of tens of thousands of workers (not slaves — recent discoveries show they were paid and housed). The precision of construction is staggering: the base is level to within 2.1 centimeters. The pyramid's internal chambers — including the King's Chamber with its mysterious "air shafts" — continue to yield new discoveries through non-invasive scanning techniques.