Pyramid of Menkaure
Smallest of the three Giza pyramids, its granite casing left unfinished at the builder pharaoh's death.
Location
About this audio guide
In 1837 a British army officer named Howard Vyse forced his way into the burial chamber beneath this pyramid and found a basalt sarcophagus carved for the pharaoh Menkaure, along with a wooden coffin bearing his name. The guide follows Vyse as he loads the sarcophagus onto a merchant ship called the Beatrice bound for the British Museum, sending the wooden coffin on a separate journey. Look at the rough, unfinished granite blocks still clinging to the base in front of you as you listen.
This audio guide was created using AI.
Similar places
Pyramid of Khafre
Second-largest Giza pyramid, still capped with original polished limestone near its summit.
The Great Pyramid of Giza
Ancient limestone tomb of stacked blocks, once the tallest structure ever built by humans.
Giza Necropolis
Ancient stone pyramid complex and tomb of a pharaoh, built with over two million quarried blocks.
Red Pyramid
Smooth-sided pyramid of rusty red limestone, built after two earlier failed designs proved fatal.
Saqqara Pyramid
Six-tiered stone pyramid stacked from royal tombs, hiding a sealed chamber and a staring statue.
Bent Pyramid
Smooth-sided pyramid whose slope suddenly flattens partway up, its original polished casing still largely intact.