Pyramid of Menkaure Built
Detailed Account
Smallest of the three Giza pyramids (65m tall). The lower 16 courses are clad in Aswan granite rather than limestone — a material 4x harder, quarried 800 km away. The interior contains an intricate basalt sarcophagus with palace-facade decoration. When the three Giza pyramids are mapped onto Orion's belt, Menkaure corresponds to Mintaka — the smallest and most offset star.
Geographic Context
Location
Giza, Egypt
Latitude
29.972500° N
Longitude
31.128300° E