The Great Pyramid of Giza was the world's tallest man-made structure for nearly 3,800 years, from around 2560 BC until 1311 AD.

The Great Pyramid of Giza was commissioned by Pharaoh Khufu during Egypt's Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Construction took roughly 20 years and was completed around 2560 BC. Upon completion, the pyramid reached a height of 146.6 meters (481 feet), making it the world's tallest structure by a commanding margin.This record stood for nearly four millennia until the Lincoln Cathedral in England was completed in 1311 AD. The cathedral's central spire reached an estimated height of 160 meters (525 feet), finally surpassing the ancient Egyptian monument. However, that spire collapsed during a storm in 1548 and was never rebuilt, cementing the Great Pyramid's legacy as the longest-reigning tallest structure in history.Engineers estimate the pyramid contains approximately 2.3 million limestone and granite blocks, each weighing an average of 2.5 to 15 tons. The precision of the construction is remarkable: the base sides have a mean error of only 58 millimeters. This extraordinary accuracy was achieved without modern tools—no wheels, pulleys, or iron implements were available to the ancient builders.Today, the pyramid stands at approximately 138 meters due to the loss of its outer casing stones and capstone over the centuries. The smooth white Tura limestone that once covered the exterior was gradually stripped away and repurposed for other building projects. Despite this erosion, the Great Pyramid remains the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that is still largely intact.