This is what the pyramids used to look like. They were covered with polished white limestone and had a peak made of pure gold.
(lemmy.today)
Commenting again just for fun, I find the pyramids fascinating and hope this is just entertaining to read:
Yeah the pyramid is a massive thing compared to its interior volume, but it's the second largest interior of any pyramid, after Djoser's miles of tunnels.
There are actually two systems of "one way giant blocks" to seal the Great pyramid: Three large blocks of granite that still plug the original opening of the ascending passage to this day; the pyramid is accessed through the so-called robber's tunnel excavated through the masonry long after construction. The second was a system of three vertically closing granite portcullis stones that would have been set in grooves in the walls just outside of the King's Chamber. It's not impossible that these were designed to be opened repeatedly, a few fragments of them exist into the present day, and there are rope holes present in them, so it's possible they were rigged to allow gangs of men in the grand gallery to hoist them open. Problem is, the shape of the antechamber is such that two of the portcullises could be simply climbed over, and then the joint between the wall and the third portcullis could be attacked. So even though they were granite, they were defeated in antiquity.
The King's chamber is entirely paved with red granite, so it's possible Khufu trusted this new, extremely durable material a bit too much.