What material was used for the inner core of the Great Pyramid?

The inner core of the Great Pyramid was built primarily from limestone. Most of these roughly shaped blocks came from local quarries on or near the Giza Plateau, where the rock formed the bulk of the pyramid’s enormous body.

The pyramid was not made from one uniform type of stone. Higher-quality white limestone from Tura was used for the smooth outer casing, giving the monument a bright, polished appearance when new. Granite from Aswan, more than 900 kilometres south, was reserved for important interior elements, including the King’s Chamber, portcullis stones and relieving chambers.

That mixture explains a frequent misconception. Granite is highly visible in the Great Pyramid’s interior and is exceptionally durable, but it was not the main material of the inner core. The core accounts for most of the structure’s mass, and limestone made it possible to quarry and move the majority of the blocks comparatively close to the building site.

The pyramid used an estimated 2.3 million blocks. Ancient builders transported some stone by boat along the Nile and used mortar to bind layers and fill irregular gaps. The outer casing was later largely removed, leaving the rougher core exposed.