The Grand Gallery maintains the slope of the ascending passage, but is 8.6 metres (28 feet) high and 46.68 metres (153.1 feet) long. At the base it is 2.06 metres (6.8 feet) wide, but after 2.29 metres (7.5 feet) the blocks of stone in the walls are corbelled inwards by 7.6 centimetres (3.0 in) on each side. It is speculated that it was used to lift stones to the upper levels of the structures by means of counter weights and pullys. The gallery's angle of ascent is about 26° 17'.

Discovered during early investigations of the pyramid’s interior, the Grand Gallery extends approximately 47 meters in length, with a steep incline of about 26 degrees. Its height reaches more than 8.5 meters, and the corbelled ceiling design reduces its width from approximately 2.1 meters at the base to less than a meter at the summit. It lies on the pyramid’s central axis, oriented precisely north-south, continuing from the lower Ascending Passage and leading directly into the antechamber of the King’s Chamber.

Constructed of large, well-fitted limestone and granite blocks, the Grand Gallery is both a functional and structural anomaly among the otherwise utilitarian corridors of Old Kingdom pyramid design. Its exact purpose remains the subject of considerable academic debate, though it is universally acknowledged as a feat of sophisticated engineering, particularly given the limited tools and materials available in circa 26th century BCE Egypt.

circa 2570 CE

The function of the Grand Gallery has been the subject of multiple hypotheses, each attempting to reconcile its complex structure with broader theories of pyramid design and funerary ritual:

Structural Load Distribution
A widely accepted engineering hypothesis asserts that the Grand Gallery served as a structural pressure-relief corridor. The corbelled vault would have effectively deflected the weight of the overlying masonry away from the delicate passages and chambers below, particularly the King’s Chamber. Its alignment with the central axis of the pyramid and the continuation of the granite “relieving chambers” above the King’s Chamber lend credence to this theory.

Funerary Ritual Procession Route
Another theory emphasizes symbolic and ceremonial function, suggesting that the Grand Gallery was part of a ritual route for the deceased pharaoh’s ka (spirit), possibly symbolizing ascension to the heavens. Its grandeur, elevation, and alignment may metaphorically represent the celestial ladder or ramp by which the king ascended to join the gods, particularly Ra in the celestial realm.

Mechanical Utility for Sarcophagus Transport
A more pragmatic view argues that the gallery functioned as a mechanical ramp or channel through which large objects — possibly the granite sarcophagus or chamber blocks — were hauled upward using wooden sleds, rollers, or ropes. The presence of 27 evenly spaced rectangular niches (commonly called “slots”) cut into the side ramps of the gallery has been interpreted as anchor points for wooden scaffolding or supports used in these operations.

Counterweight Mechanism Hypothesis
A subset of the mechanical interpretation, advanced in modern studies, theorizes that the Grand Gallery may have been part of a counterweight system — a primitive elevator — designed to maneuver massive blocks up through the Ascending Passage using sliding stones as counterbalances. Though speculative, this theory attempts to explain the complex design and multiple physical features of the passage, including the polished floor and wall grooves.

Astro-Religious or Symbolic Function
Some Egyptologists and archaeoastronomers propose that the gallery may have had symbolic or functional links to celestial observation or alignment. The precise alignment of the pyramid and the axial orientation of the gallery have led to conjectures about the role of stellar alignments in pharaonic burial ideology, particularly in the context of the Pyramid Texts that appear in later pyramids of the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties.

While no singular theory can be definitively proven in the absence of direct textual evidence from the Fourth Dynasty, the multiplicity of scholarly interpretations reflects the complexity and sophistication of Old Kingdom mortuary architecture.

circa 2570 CE

Floor
At the floor level, the gallery features a central flat path flanked on both sides by raised ramps about 0.5 meters above the floor. These ramps are each inscribed with the series of rectangular slots or depressions spaced at intervals of roughly one cubit. Their exact function remains debated, but they are often associated with structural or mechanical purposes, possibly related to scaffolding, staging platforms, or hauling mechanisms. The floor of the Grand Gallery consists of a shelf or step on either side, 51 centimetres (20 inches) wide, leaving a lower ramp 1.04 metres (3.4 feet) wide between them. Fragments of granite found by Petrie in the Descending Passage may have come from these now-vanished doors.

At the upper end of the Grand Gallery lies a step-like platform which leads into a small horizontal passage that opens into the antechamber of the King’s Chamber. This transitional space includes the so-called “Great Step,” an abrupt elevation of about 1 meter that marks the terminus of the ascending sequence. The passage here narrows, and the ceiling lowers significantly, contrasting sharply with the monumental scale of the gallery.

circa 2570 CE

Construction Details
The walls of the Grand Gallery are constructed from fine white Tura limestone, laid in seven corbelled courses. Each successive course projects inward by approximately 7.6 centimeters, narrowing the ceiling space until a long narrow strip of flat ceiling, made of granite or limestone, caps the structure. This technique minimizes the risk of collapse by reducing the lateral pressure exerted by the massive superincumbent masonry. There are seven of these steps, so, at the top, the Grand Gallery is only 1.04 metres (3.4 feet) wide. It is roofed by slabs of stone laid at a slightly steeper angle than the floor of the gallery, so that each stone fits into a slot cut in the top of the gallery like the teeth of a ratchet. The purpose was to have each block supported by the wall of the Gallery, rather than resting on the block beneath it, in order to prevent cumulative pressure.

The ceiling itself consists of smooth corbelled blocks meticulously laid with tight seams, contributing to the integrity of the superstructure above. The precision of construction, the polished surfaces, and the absence of decorative inscriptions all contribute to the austere grandeur of the gallery — a hallmark of Khufu’s pyramid interior.

circa 2570 CE

Slots and Niches
In the shelves there are 54 slots, 27 on each side matched by vertical and horizontal slots in the walls of the Gallery. These form a cross shape that rises out of the slot in the shelf. The purpose of these slots is not known, but the central gutter in the floor of the Gallery, which is the same width as the Ascending Passage, has led to speculation that the blocking stones were stored in the Grand Gallery and the slots held wooden beams to restrain them from sliding down the passage.

circa 2570 CE

Others
This, in turn, has led to the proposal that originally many more than 3 blocking stones were intended, to completely fill the Ascending Passage. At the top of the Grand Gallery, there is a step giving onto a horizontal passage some metres long and approximately 1.02 metres (3.3 ft) in height and width, in which can be detected four slots, three of which were probably intended to hold granite portcullises.