Great Pyramid of Giza (Khufu)

The Great Pyramid of Giza, also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or Cheops, is the surviving monument among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its enormous stone structure encloses a complex arrangement of passages and chambers, while the surrounding remains reveal a wider funerary landscape of temples, smaller pyramids and royal boat pits.

The pyramid’s volume is approximately 2,550,000 cubic metres. Beyond its scale, its closely fitted masonry and carefully arranged internal spaces offer a remarkable insight into ancient Egyptian construction.

Inside the Great Pyramid

An opening on the pyramid’s north face is associated with the ninth-century caliph al-Mamun, the son of Haroun al-Rashid. The AUC Guide recounts that al-Mamun searched the pyramid for treasure while in Egypt to suppress an uprising in the Nile Delta. It also suggests that the monument had probably been robbed much earlier, possibly during the First Intermediate Period.

The original descending passage runs for approximately 100 metres, reaching about 30 metres below the bedrock surface before arriving at an unfinished subterranean chamber. Measuring around 1.3 metres high and 1 metre wide, this passage forms part of the pyramid’s unusually intricate interior.

Roughly 20 metres from the original entrance, granite blocks obstruct the ascending passage. A route cut through the adjacent rock bypasses this barrier and connects with the upward corridor, which extends for about 40 metres at a gradient of one in two.

A shaft links the area near the Grand Gallery with the descending passage below, although its purpose remains uncertain. Another narrow, horizontal corridor leads to the room conventionally called the Queen’s Chamber.

The Grand Gallery and Queen’s Chamber

The Queen’s Chamber is almost square, with a pointed roof formed from enormous stone blocks. Its familiar name was given by Arab visitors; the name itself does not establish that a queen was buried there.

The ascending Grand Gallery is one of the Great Pyramid’s most striking architectural features. Approximately 47 metres long and 8.5 metres high, it displays exceptionally precise masonry and leads towards the principal burial room, known as the King’s Chamber.

The contrast between the narrow connecting passages and the gallery’s height makes the arrangement of these interior spaces particularly distinctive.

The King’s Chamber

The King’s Chamber stands approximately 42.5 metres above the bedrock surface. Aligned east–west, it measures 5.22 metres across and 10.44 metres in length, giving it the proportions of two adjoining squares.

Pink granite from Aswan forms the chamber’s walls, while nine enormous horizontal granite slabs create its ceiling. Openings in the north and south walls lead into two shafts extending towards the pyramid’s outer surfaces. Often described as ventilation shafts, they may also have held religious significance.

Above the chamber are five spaces commonly called relieving chambers. These were intended to protect the room beneath from the weight of the pyramid. The AUC Guide explains that the uppermost pointed limestone roof plays the decisive role in directing that load away from the King’s Chamber.

The relieving chambers also contain red-painted markings bearing Khufu’s name within a cartouche. These are the inscriptions identified in this section of the guide as the only ones found within the Great Pyramid.

An empty stone sarcophagus remains in the King’s Chamber. If Khufu’s mummy was ever placed inside the pyramid, this is the room in which the guide identifies its intended resting place.

Why Does the Pyramid Have Three Chambers?

The presence of three principal chambers has prompted different explanations. The AUC Guide presents a theory proposed in 1993 by Dr I. E. S. Edwards, formerly Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum.

Edwards suggested that the unfinished subterranean chamber reflected a change in the burial plan during construction. In his interpretation, a decision to use a large stone sarcophagus instead of a wooden coffin came after a passage too narrow for the proposed sarcophagus had already been cut through the bedrock.

He connected this change with ideas about the king’s rebirth after death. The pyramid represented an ascent towards the sun, while the stone sarcophagus symbolically enclosed the deceased ruler in preparation for renewed life.

According to this theory, the burial was then planned for the room now called the Queen’s Chamber. When delivery of the sarcophagus was delayed, construction continued and that chamber was roofed over before it could receive the burial. A further chamber—the King’s Chamber—was consequently built higher within the pyramid.

This is a proposed explanation for the sequence of chambers, rather than a confirmed account of how the design developed.

The Funerary Complex Around Khufu’s Pyramid

Remains of the original enclosure wall survive to the north and east of the pyramid, approximately 10 metres from its base. On the eastern side, basalt paving marks the surviving remains of Khufu’s funerary temple.

Traces of a causeway indicate its connection with the valley temple. The guide records that this valley temple was discovered in 1990, about 4 metres below street level in the village at the foot of the plateau.

Three smaller pyramids, approximately 15–20 metres high, stand nearby. They probably belonged to Khufu’s queens or sisters, although that attribution is not presented as certain.

Khufu’s Boat Discoveries

Five boat pits are described in the guide as part of the surrounding complex. Three were found empty, while a fourth yielded a dismantled cedar boat in 1954.

The vessel was reassembled after its discovery. Evidence of wear suggests that it may have been used during Khufu’s lifetime, rather than being made solely for burial with the king.

In 1987, cameras lowered through drilled openings into a fifth pit revealed a second preserved boat beneath limestone covering slabs approximately 1.5 metres thick. These discoveries provide another connection between Khufu’s funerary complex, boats and ancient Egyptian beliefs about royal life and death.

The Engineering Behind the Great Pyramid

The pyramid’s stability depends on more than the sheer weight of its stone. Its large, precisely fitted blocks and foundations cut into the bedrock contribute to the strength of the structure.

The AUC Guide describes stepped, inclined elements within the construction that direct much of the weight towards the centre. In its engineering explanation, horizontal forces act towards the central core, while approximately 85 per cent of the vertical forces are transmitted towards that core before reaching the bedrock.

This distribution of weight helps explain the exceptional stability of Khufu’s pyramid and the durability of its enormous stone structure.