Son of Sneferu, the most prolific pyramid builder in Egyptian history, Khufu inherited both the know-how and the organisation to attempt something without precedent. The result was the Great Pyramid, originally about 146 metres tall and built from roughly 2.3 million blocks.
Papyri found at Wadi el-Jarf on the Red Sea coast — the oldest inscribed papyri known — record an official named Merer shipping limestone from Tura to Giza for Khufu’s project, giving a rare first-hand glimpse of the workforce behind the pyramid.
Key achievements
- Built the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest of all Egyptian pyramids.
- A full-size cedar boat was buried beside his pyramid for his journey in the afterlife.
- Only one small, certain statue of him survives — an ivory figurine about 7.5 cm tall.
