Pyramid of Khufu

Faits

• When built, the pyramid stood 146.6m (480.9ft) tall, but has been reduced in height by the effects of weathering over the centuries coupled with the loss of its limestone cladding. A metal pole placed at the top of the pyramid now serves to illustrate its original height.
• The Great Pyramid was built by King Khufu, son of Sneferu, in about 2500BC. It was originally called Akhet Khufu, meaning 'Khufu belongs to the horizon'.
• The structure comprises 2.3 million blocks of limestone and rests on 210 piers, each of which weighs approximately 2.5 tonnes. The exterior surface was smooth when built - white in colour with a gold tip.
• Beside the Great Pyramid are three secondary pyramids, two solar boats, two cemeteries and the remains of a funerary temple.
• The interior of the Pyramid is accessed via a descending corridor, 1.2m high, which leads to an underground chamber, King's and Queen's chambers and the Great Gallery, a space 47m long and 8.5m high. Two 'aeration tunnels' facilitate the direct ascension of the king to heaven.
• This was the world's tallest structure from about 2580BC to 1310AD - a reign of 3,800 years. It was surpassed by Lincoln Cathedral.