What Are the Pyramids of Giza Made Of?

The great pyramid consists of an estimated 2.3 million blocks. Approximately 5.5 million tonnes of limestone, 8,000 tonnes of granite, and 500,000 tonnes of mortar were used in the construction. Most of the blocks were quarried at giza just south of the pyramid, an area now known as the central field.

What Are the Pyramids of Giza Made Of?

The Pyramids of Giza were built over 4,500 years ago and are some of the most impressive structures in the world. But what are they made of?

The majority of the pyramids’ mass is made up of limestone blocks that were cut from nearby quarries and transported to the construction site.

The limestone was then cut to size and shape and assembled into the massive structures using mortar and plaster. The outer casing of the Great Pyramid is made of a type of limestone called Tura limestone, which was quarried across the river from Giza.

This limestone is very fine–grained and has a uniform light–gray color, making it ideal for a smooth, finished surface. The inner core of the pyramid is made of a coarser type of limestone called Mokattam limestone.

This limestone is darker in color and has a more uneven texture. It was quarried from the hills south of Giza. The Pyramids of Giza were originally covered in a white limestone casing that would have made them shine brightly in the desert sun.

However, most of this casing has been stripped away over the millennia, exposing the underlying Mokattam limestone. The pyramids were built using an estimated 2.3