The Step Pyramid at Saqqara — built for the Third Dynasty pharaoh Djoser and designed by the architect Imhotep — was the first large stone building in human history, rising in six tiers to a height of about 62 meters.

It was also the beginning of a tradition that would continue for nearly a century: the tradition of building increasingly ambitious pyramid complexes that demonstrated the power of the pharaoh and his relationship to the divine order.

By the Fourth Dynasty, the pyramid-building tradition had reached its apex.

The Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza, constructed around 2560 BCE, is to this day one of the largest single structures ever built.

Standing originally at 146 meters, it contained approximately 2.3 million stone blocks, with individual blocks averaging more than two tons.