Written by Mike Kaplan; most recent update: November 3, 2023
Pyramids, both old and new, exist in a variety of shapes and sizes. Comparing their heights, for instance, would allow one to establish which pyramid is the tallest. The Transamerica Pyramid, with 260 meters (853 feet) in height, would undoubtedly be a strong contender.
On the other hand, a lot of enormous pyramids have a very large base but are not particularly tall. Therefore, the volume of a pyramid is perhaps a better indicator of size. The following formula can be used to determine a pyramid’s volume: Base length * Base width * Base height * 1/3. The Transamerica Pyramid, which isn’t even close enough to be on our list of largest pyramids, is 54 × 54 x 260 x 1/3 = 252,720 m³.
Finding the largest pyramids in the world shouldn’t be too tough with this approach. Sadly, it isn’t that simple. Many pyramids are actually stepped pyramids rather than pure smooth-sided pyramids. The fact that some of the world’s largest pyramids have not yet been fully excavated presents another issue.
8. La Danta, El Mirador (0,9 million m³)
Mike Kaplan’s article, “8 Largest Pyramids in the World,” was last modified on November 3, 2023.
Pyramids, both old and new, exist in a variety of shapes and sizes. Comparing their heights, for instance, would allow one to establish which pyramid is the tallest. The Transamerica Pyramid, with 260 meters (853 feet) in height, would undoubtedly be a strong contender.
On the other hand, a lot of enormous pyramids have a very large base but are not particularly tall. Therefore, the volume of a pyramid is perhaps a better indicator of size. The following formula can be used to determine a pyramid’s volume: Base length * Base width * Base height * 1/3. For the Transamerica Pyramid, this is 54 × 54 x 260 x 1/3 = 252,720 m³; nonetheless, it is not even near enough to be included in our
Due to their distant location deep within the northern Guatemalan jungle, the ruins were not given much attention until they were unearthed in 1926. The two largest constructions at El Mirador, the “El Tigre” and “La Danta” complexes, provide the image of two huge hills, and the site is still mostly covered in tropical vegetation today.
The La Danta complex is made up of several different platforms. The lowest platform is 7 meters (23 feet) high, 310 by 590 meters (1017 by 1936 feet), and it holds a number of buildings. The following platform rises a another 7 meters and measures roughly 190 by 240 meters (623 by 787 feet). Three pyramids, the highest of which is 21 meters high, are perched on another platform that is roughly 21 meters (69 feet) high. The Danta Complex is 70 meters (230 feet) high, which is a little higher than El Tigre, which is just 55 meters (180 feet) high. However, La Danta has a low natural slope.
A source claims that the La Danta complex is one of the biggest constructions in the world, with a total volume of 2,800,000 cubic meters. But the real questions are whether this computation is accurate and whether the complex as a whole can be viewed as a single pyramid. It might be argued that since the first platform supports multiple structures, a portion of it should be removed.
7. Pyramid of the Sun (1,2 million m³)
One of the biggest structures in Mesoamerica and the greatest structure in Teotihuacan is the Pyramid of the Sun. The Aztecs gave Teotihuacan its name when they visited centuries after it had been abandoned.
Building of the pyramid took place in two stages. The pyramid reached almost its current size during the first building phase, which began around AD 100. Its final dimensions after the second phase of construction were 225 meters (733 feet) in diameter and 75 meters (246 feet) in height.
The Mysteries of Teotihuacan
Who precisely constructed Teotihuacan’s other monuments, including the Pyramid of the Sun? We don’t know everything, in part because the governing class of the city left behind very few records. According to Nawa Sugiyama, an anthropologist at the University of California, Riverside, the shape of the city suggests a top-down hierarchical organization, but archaeologists haven’t even discovered a burial site they are positive belongs to a ruler in the classic sense.
The “master design” of the city and the manner in which its builders executed it, according to Nawa Sugiyama, an anthropologist at the University of California, Riverside, indicate that the people who commissioned the project possessed a great deal of influence. “That doesn’t just happen to you.”
Constructed in the first century, the Pyramid of the Sun stands in the expanding city of Teotihuacan, between the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent. The city served as the capital of an empire that included much of what is now modern-day Mexico and maybe Guatemala. It traded widely, and excavations in Oaxaca, to the south, and Maya cities also show military expeditions commanded by the Teotihuacan people.
The variety of people living in the city was a reflection of the extent of its dominion. However, we are unsure of the common language, or lingua franca, of the city. In actuality, the Aztecs gave them the name Teotihuacan themselves much later on, and it signifies the
6. Luxor Hotel (1,228 million m³)
In the 1990s, the Luxor Pyramid was one of the first of ten new megaresorts to open on the Las Vegas Strip. After just eighteen months of building, the Luxor opened its doors in 1993 with 2,526 guest rooms, a massive gaming area, a showroom, restaurants, and entertainment venues on the second level.
With a base length of 183 meters (600 feet) and a height of 110 meters (350 feet), it is significantly smaller than the Great Pyramid at Giza, its well-known model.
5. Bent Pyramid (1,237 million m³)
Pharaoh Sneferu constructed two pyramids, the first of which is the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur. Unbelievably, the Egyptian pyramid rises at a 55-degree inclination from the desert before abruptly shifting to a 43-degree slant.
A theory suggests that the architects were forced to adopt a shallower angle because the steepness of the original angle made it too heavy to add weight above the inner chambers and corridors. The pyramid is 101.1 meters (332 feet) tall and has a base of 188.6 meters (619 feet).
4. Red Pyramid (1,69 million m³)
The Red Pyramid, which was built by Pharaoh Sneferu, is the earliest successful example of a genuine pyramid in history. The pyramid is 104 meters (341 feet) high and 220 by 220 meters (722 feet) in size.
Before the Giza pyramids were built, this was the biggest pyramid in Egypt. The absence of the throngs of people that afflict the Giza Plateau and the relatively uncontrolled interior access are what truly set the Red Pyramid apart today.
3. Great Pyramid of Cholula (1,8 million m³)
The Great Pyramid of Cholula, located in Mexico, resembles a natural hill with a Catholic church on it. On the site of a pre-Hispanic temple, the Spanish constructed the “Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios” in 1594.
With a total volume estimated at more than 4.45 million m³, this temple is in reality the largest pyramid ever built anywhere in the globe, according to the Guinness Book of Records. This is based on a height of 66 meters (217 feet) and a size of 450 by 450 meters (1476×1476 feet).
But a closer look at the location reveals a different volume. The complex is made up of multiple buildings that were constructed atop one another between the third century BC and the
2. Pyramid of Khafre (2,21 million m³)
After the Great Pyramid, which was constructed by Khafre’s father Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre is the second largest pyramid at Giza. But because it was constructed at a higher altitude, it seems a little bit bigger.
The pyramid was formerly 143.5 meters (471 feet) tall, but it is currently 12 meters shorter. Its base length is 215.5 meters (706 feet). The highest layer of smooth stones, which are the only casing stones still present on a Giza Pyramid, is what makes Khafre’s Pyramid stand out from other pyramids.
1. Pyramid of Khufu (2,58 million m³)
The oldest and only surviving structure from the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The construction of the pyramid required the usage of more than two million stone blocks over the course of twenty years, ending circa 2560 BC.
The pyramid’s dimensions are astounding: it is 230 meters (755 feet) long and 139 meters (455 feet) high (originally 146.5 meters or 480.6 feet). Thus, the Great Pyramid of Khufu continues to stand as the greatest pyramid ever constructed even after taking into account all the largest pyramids.