What is the estimated number of blocks used to build the Great Pyramid?

The Great Pyramid of Giza is estimated to have been built from about 2.3 million stone blocks. Constructed for Pharaoh Khufu during the Fourth Dynasty, it was probably completed around 2560 BC and remained the world’s tallest human-made structure for thousands of years.

Most blocks were local limestone quarried on or near the Giza Plateau. Finer white limestone for the outer casing came from Tura, while granite used in the inner chambers was transported from Aswan, hundreds of kilometers to the south. The original casing made the pyramid smoother and brighter than the weathered structure visible today.

The figure of 2.3 million is an estimate rather than a surviving ancient census. Block sizes varied considerably, and many stones were roughly shaped rather than identical building units. The total mass is often estimated at about 6 million tonnes, with an average block weighing several tonnes.

The Diary of Merer, discovered in 2013, records the transport of limestone to Giza during Khufu’s reign. It does not list every block, but it provides valuable evidence about the organized logistics behind the pyramid’s construction.