Great Pyramid of Giza facts and comparisons
The Great Pyramid of Giza is both a monument of extraordinary height and a huge square-based stone structure, so its footprint matters as much as its peak.
Great Pyramid of Giza size comparisons
It originally rose about 146.5 metres.
That made Khufu’s pyramid the tallest structure in the world for roughly 3,800 years, a record that gives its scale real historical weight.
Today it is lower because most of its smooth outer casing is gone.
The present height is about 137 to 138.5 metres, so original and current measurements should never be used interchangeably.
Each side of its base is about 230 metres long.
That square footprint covers more than 13 acres, making the pyramid’s ground-level scale much greater than a single tall tower suggests.
Source: Smithsonian Institution
It was built as the tomb of King Khufu around 2589–2566 BC.
The date places the structure more than four and a half millennia before the modern landmarks often used to compare its height.
Construction is estimated to have taken 10 to 20 years.
Because the duration is an estimate, it should be presented as a range rather than a claim of an exact build schedule.
It is the only surviving wonder of the ancient world.
UNESCO identifies it as a central monument within the Memphis and its Necropolis World Heritage property.
Source: UNESCO
