Egypt, 1880
by Félix Bonfils

Believed to have been built by the pharaoh Khufu in 2560 BC and composed of roughly 2.3 million stones weighting at least 2 tons each, the Great Pyramid was the world’s tallest building for nearly 40 centuries. Requiring the labor of tens of thousands of men over a span of decades, it is still unknown how the stones were put into place. Long drawn to the mystery of the pyramids, this image depicts 19th century visitors beginning their ascent of the only remaining of the Seven Wonders of the World.