How Long Did It Take to Build the Great Pyramid?
Many have marveled at its structure, its majesty, and its profound purpose, and the question is often asked, "How long did it take to build the Great Pyramid?" While theories about its construction timeline and methodology vary widely, it is believed the Great Pyramid of Giza took between 14 and 20 years to build.
What is the Great Pyramid?
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and the largest of the pyramids in El Giza, Egypt. The Great Pyramid was built to be the tomb for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu, who is also known as Cheops in Greek. It is for this reason the Great Pyramid is also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops.
Designed as Khufu's royal burial chamber, the Great Pyramid includes at least three chambers, one for the Pharaoh himself, one for his queen, and one at the bottom of the pyramid, which remained unfinished.
The pyramid is constructed of limestone, granite, and had a surface of white casing stones, which had flat tops and slanted faces made of shiny white limestone. In 1300 AD an earthquake loosened many of these stones, which were later used in various buildings throughout Cairo and may still be seen today. A few of the casing stones remain at the base of the Great Pyramid and offer evidence to the great workmanship and precision with which the pyramid was constructed.
The Great Pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the World, and despite losing its top portion and outer casing, remains largely intact as a structure. The pyramid was initially over 480 feet tall, making it one of the tallest structures for nearly 4,000 years.
How was the Great Pyramid constructed?
Many contradictory theories exist about how the Great Pyramid was constructed. The pyramid is built of stones believed to have been prepared in a quarry, which were then floated and dragged into place. Some refute this quarrying theory, suggesting the blocks were actually poured limestone concrete, finished at the site itself.
Pharaoh Khufu's vizier, Hemon, is believed to be the architect of the Great Pyramid, which is estimated to weigh nearly 6 million tons and be comprised of over 2.3 million stone blocks. According to the work of Egyptologist Petrie, much of the limestone utilized in the Great Pyramid was quarried near the construction site.
Meanwhile, the granite used in the Pharaoh's chamber was brought up the Nile from Aswan, nearly 500 miles from Giza.
To quarry the stone, the Egyptians inserted wooden wedges into stones, and then thoroughly soaked these wedges. As the wedges absorbed the water and expanded, the rock would crack, enabling the workers to cut the stone into workable pieces. The hewn stones were then floated by boat down the Nile to the pyramid site.
How long did it take to build the Great Pyramid?
Answering the question, "how long did it take to build the Great Pyramid," depends largely on the construction theory applied. In most cases, experts believe the Great Pyramid took at least 14 years, and up to 20 years to construct.
Based upon 20-year estimates, the construction of the Great Pyramid would have involved over 100,000 workers quarrying and laying nearly 1,600,000 pounds of stone every day. According to these estimates, 2.3 million blocks of stone were laid to build the pyramid. Over a period of 20 years, 12 blocks would have to have been laid every hour, 24 hours a day, for the entire two decades. The effort must have been extraordinarily arduous and precise, even over a 20-year period.
While answering the question, "how long did it take to build the Great Pyramid," may not be perfectly scientific or simple, there is no doubt the Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the most awe-inspiring man-made structures ever erected.