The casing stones of the Great Pyramid came from the Tura quarries. Tura limestone was prized for its bright color and fine grain, making it suitable for the pyramid’s smooth outer surface.
Most of the pyramid’s core was built from rougher limestone quarried locally on the Giza Plateau. In contrast, the carefully dressed Tura blocks were transported by boat across the Nile and fitted around the core in sloping layers. When intact, this polished white casing would have made the monument gleam in the Egyptian sunlight.
The Diary of Merer, a 4th-century-BCE? No—the papyrus dates to Khufu’s reign in the Old Kingdom and records the movement of limestone from Tura to the construction site. The granite used in the King’s Chamber and its upper relieving chambers came from Aswan, which is why Aswan is a tempting but incorrect option. Mokattam refers to a broader limestone formation, while Sinai was not the source of the pyramid’s main casing.