The Giza Pyramid Complex represents the architectural and ideological peak of pyramid building in ancient Egypt. The largest and oldest of the three main pyramids is that of Khufu, which dominates the plateau and anchors a vast funerary complex with queens’ pyramids, boat pits (including the reconstructed Khufu Ship), and an eastern and western cemetery of elite mastabas. The Pyramid of Khafre, slightly smaller but elevated on higher ground, retains portions of its original casing stones and is part of a complex that includes a mortuary temple, a valley temple, a processional causeway, and the Great Sphinx, often attributed to Khafre’s reign. The Pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the three, is accompanied by three queen’s pyramids and a modest mortuary and valley temple. Together, the complexes exhibit a standardized yet evolving blueprint of Old Kingdom royal funerary architecture, reflecting both central authority and theological development. Over time, the plateau became a locus for elite burials, cultic reuse, and historical fascination, maintaining its status as the most iconic archaeological site of ancient Egypt.

circa 2570 BCE

The Giza Pyramid Complex was established during Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty, beginning with the construction of the Pyramid of Khufu around circa 2580 BCE, marking the start of one of the most ambitious royal mortuary projects in Egyptian history. Khufu’s complex included not only the largest pyramid ever built but also a vast funerary layout comprising subsidiary pyramids, mastaba fields, boat pits, and a mortuary and valley temple connected by a ceremonial causeway. His successor Djedefre broke tradition by building his pyramid at Abu Rawash, but Khafre returned to Giza and constructed his own pyramid complex (circa 2558–2532 BCE), notable for the preserved casing stones, a monumental mortuary and valley temple complex, and the adjacent Great Sphinx, likely carved during his reign.

Menkaure, ruling in the later part of the Fourth Dynasty, completed the third and smallest pyramid at Giza, also accompanied by subsidiary pyramids and mortuary structures. After the Fourth Dynasty, large-scale pyramid construction declined in scale and quality; however, the Giza Plateau remained a focal point for elite burials and religious activity. During the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties, mastaba tombs of royal family members, viziers, and priests filled the Eastern and Western cemeteries. In the Late Period and into the Saite and Persian periods, the necropolis saw sporadic reuse, including intrusive burials.

By the Greco-Roman period, the complex had become a site of historical curiosity and pilgrimage. Over the centuries, the pyramids were stripped of casing stones for reuse in medieval Cairo, and much of the mortuary infrastructure fell into ruin, though portions of temples and causeways remained visible. Excavations from the 19th century onward—led by figures such as Lepsius, Petrie, and Reisner—uncovered major architectural and textual data, while modern archaeological work has revealed worker villages, administrative areas, and transportation infrastructure, shifting scholarly understanding from a purely monumental focus to a broader view of centralized labor, state planning, and ideological landscape.

circa 2570 BCE

Pyramid Complex of Khufu
The Pyramid complex of Khufu is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza pyramid complex bordering what is now el Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. Khufu’s pyramid complex consists of a valley temple, now buried beneath the village of Nazlet el-Samman; diabase paving and nummulitic limestone walls have been found but the site has not been excavated. Khufu's pyramid still has a limited number of casing stones at its base. These casing stones were made of fine white limestone quarried from the nearby range.

circa 2500 BCE

Pyramid Complex of Khafre
The Pyramid Complex of Khafre/Chephren includes the funerary temple, boat pits, rock-cut tombs, subsidiary pyramid, cause way, the great Sphinx, and valley temple of Khafre. Khafre's pyramid complex consists of a valley temple, the Sphinx temple, a causeway, a mortuary temple and the king's pyramid. The valley temple yielded several statues of Khafre. Several were found in a well in the floor of the temple by Mariette in 1860. Others were found during successive excavations by Sieglin (1909–10), Junker, Reisner, and Hassan.

circa 2500 BCE

Pyramid of Menkaure
The Pyramid of Menkaure is the smallest of the three main Pyramids of Giza, located on the Giza Plateau in the southwestern outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. Menkaure's pyramid complex consists of a valley temple, a causeway, a mortuary temple, and the king's pyramid. The valley temple once contained several statues of Menkaure. During the 5th Dynasty, a smaller ante-temple was added on to the valley temple. The mortuary temple also yielded several statues of Menkaure.

circa 2500 BCE

The Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt and is commonly believed to have been built during Old Kingdom during the reign of the Pharaoh Khafre (c. 2558–2532 BCE). The Sphinx dates from the reign of king Khafre. During the New Kingdom, Amenhotep II dedicated a new temple to Hauron-Haremakhet and this structure was added onto by later rulers.

circa 2500 BCE

The Giza Settlement is located to the southeast of the Khafre and Menkaure complexes. Among the discoveries at the workers' village are communal sleeping quarters, bakeries, breweries, and kitchens, a hospital and a cemetery. The town appears to date from the middle 4th dynasty (2520–2472 BCE), after the accepted time of Khufu. The work of quarrying, moving, setting, and sculpting the huge amount of stone used to build the pyramids might have been accomplished by several thousand skilled workers, unskilled laborers and supporting workers. Bakers, carpenters, water carriers, and others were also needed for the project.

circa 2340 BCE

Mastaba of Seshemnefer IV
The Mastaba of Seshemnefer IV is one of the most prominent tomb located in cemetery GIS of the Giza Necropolis in Egypt, it dates from the early Sixth Dynasty. The tomb was completely uncovered during Junker's excavations, which took place in 1928/9. It dates from the early Sixth Dynasty (c. 2340 BCE), and was built for the official Seshemnefer IV (LG 53). Five reliefs from the mastaba of Seshemnefer IV are on display in the Egyptian collection of the Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum Hildesheim.

circa 2340 BCE

Mastaba of Hemiunu
The Hemiunu Mastaba (G4000) located in Giza Western Field lies close to Khufu's pyramid, and contains reliefs of his image. Some stones of his badly damaged mastaba (G4000 [es]) are marked with dates referring to Khufu's reign. His statue can be found at the Pelizaeus Museum, Hildesheim, Germany. Ancient looters had ransacked the mastaba in their quest for valuable items and the wall to the serbad had a child-sized hole cut into it.

circa 2340 BCE

Tomb complex of Senedjemib
The Senedjemib Tomb Complex belongs to 5th/6th dynasty officials (vizirs) named Senedjemib Inti (father) and Senedjemib Mehi (son). Located in the Western Cemetery of the Giza Plateau, consists of a series of mastabas belonging to Senedjemib Inti and his family, high officials during the reigns of Djedkare Isesi and Unas in Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty (circa 24th century BCE). The primary tomb, that of Senedjemib Inti, includes an inscribed false door, offering chamber, and extensive autobiographical texts detailing his service as vizier, overseer of works, and chief architect. These inscriptions record royal commissions, including construction projects at royal pyramid complexes and administrative duties. The tomb complex also contains subsidiary chapels and burial shafts for family members, providing valuable evidence of elite administrative roles and funerary practices at the end of the Old Kingdom.