The Great Pyramid remained the tallest man-made structure for about 3,800 years.
Khufu’s pyramid originally stood approximately 146.6 metres high, making it the highest structure humans had ever built. It held that distinction from its completion during Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty until the construction of Lincoln Cathedral in England, whose central spire was completed in 1311. The exact duration is conventionally rounded to about 3,800 years.
The Great Pyramid’s original height was greater than the monument visible today. Most of its smooth white limestone casing was removed over the centuries, exposing the rougher core and reducing its present height to about 138.5 metres. The pyramid’s enormous base, precise geometry and stable stone courses helped it endure for millennia.
A frequent confusion concerns whether the pyramid was the world’s tallest building or merely the tallest surviving ancient monument. In historical lists it is described as the tallest human-made structure, a category broader than modern “building” classifications. Later, Strasbourg Cathedral surpassed Lincoln Cathedral in 1439, and modern skyscrapers eventually made both cathedral and pyramid heights seem modest.