How Were the Pyramids Built? What We Actually Know

History · 7 min read · Published 2025-02-10

No, it wasn't aliens. Here's the real, fascinating story of how the ancient Egyptians built the Pyramids of Giza.

The Pyramids of Giza are so staggering that people reach for wild theories to explain them. The truth is more impressive: ordinary humans, brilliantly organised, built them by hand around 4,500 years ago. Here's what the evidence actually shows.

Who built them Not slaves, as the old myth goes, but a skilled, paid workforce. Archaeologists have found the workers' village near Giza, complete with bakeries, breweries and even medical care for injuries. These were respected labourers, craftsmen and engineers, supported by a vast organised state.

The stones The Great Pyramid contains roughly 2.3 million limestone blocks, most quarried right beside the plateau. Finer casing stone and granite for the inner chambers came from further afield, including Aswan, hundreds of kilometres up the Nile, floated downriver by boat.

Ramps and muscle The leading theory is that workers hauled the blocks up ramps of earth and brick, possibly straight, zigzagging, or wrapping around the pyramid as it rose. Sledges dragged over wetted sand reduced friction dramatically, a trick the Egyptians depicted in their own art. There were no machines, just rope, levers, sledges and enormous coordination.

How long it took The Great Pyramid of Khufu is thought to have taken around 20 years to build. That it was done with such precision, the base is almost perfectly level and aligned to the compass points, is the truly mind-bending part.

See it for yourself Standing at the foot of the Great Pyramid, the scale makes the achievement land in a way no photo can. For tips on visiting well, see our guide on <a href="/blog/avoid-crowds-at-the-pyramids">avoiding the crowds</a>, then browse our <a href="/tours/cairo-quick-getaway">Cairo tours</a>.