The most famous Egyptian pyramids are those found at Al Giza

The most famous Egyptian pyramids are those found at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. Several of the Giza pyramids are counted among the largest structures ever built. The Pyramid of Khufu is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence.

Constructing the pyramids involved moving huge quantities of stone. In 2013, papyri discovered at the Egyptian desert near the Red Sea by archaeologist Pierre Tallet revealed the Diary of Merer, an official of Egypt involved in transporting limestone along the Nile River. These papyri reveal processes in the building of the Great Pyramid at Giza, the tomb of the Pharaoh Khufu, just outside modern Cairo.

Rather than overland transport of the limestone used in building the pyramid, there is evidence—in the Diary of Merer and from preserved remnants of ancient canals and transport boats—that limestone blocks were transported along the Nile River. It is possible that quarried blocks were then transported to the construction site by wooden sleds, with sand in front of the sled wetted to reduce friction. Droplets of water created bridges between the grains of sand, helping them stick together