Andrián Szabó June 2023

Architectural Visualization of
the Pyramid of Khafre and Its Complex

Abstract
This work presents detailed architectural drawings and a 3D model of the Pyramid of
Khafre and its complex on the Giza Plateau. The model and the drawings based on it
were created utilizing mostly the work of the Italian architects Vito Maragioglio and
Celeste Ambrogio Rinaldi, and supplemented with numerous adjustments according to
other researchers. They are now part of a large-scale project called ‘All Pyramids’. Few
have explored the Pyramid, so any available materials including a high-quality model and
detailed drawings will be of help to a researcher interested in the second largest stone
structure of Ancient Egypt1.

Architectural model of the Pyramid Complex of Khafre made by Serafima Polikarpova

Keywords: Pyramid of Khafre, Chephren, Khafre, Sphinx, Egypt, Pyramids, architecture,

technical drawings, engineering, Flinders Petrie, Vito Maragioglio, Celeste Rinaldi, Uvo
Hölscher, Selim Hassan, All Pyramids.

1I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Igor Yatskovich for proof-reading the English text of this
paper. Any remaining mistakes are the responsibility of the author.
1
Andrián Szabó June 2023

Introduction
One of the most important aspects of the non-commercial project and digital archive
called ‘All Pyramids’ is the creation of detailed architectural models and derivative
drawings of the Pyramid complexes in Egypt. And, of course, the Pyramid of Khafre is no
exception.
Unfortunately, the Pyramid of Khafre has never been as popular among researchers as
the Great Pyramid of Khufu; therefore, publications related to this Pyramid are not very
numerous, and those that exist do not provide as much detail as one would like for such
an important historical monument. The chronology of research on the Pyramid of Khafre
and its complex is presented in The Pyramid of Khafre. Timeline of Archeological
Exploration2, and I would like to highlight several archaeologists and architects who made
a great contribution to the study of this structure not only from a historical, but from an
architectural and engineering point of view:
• William Matthew Flinders Petrie, a British Egyptologist, conducted archaeological
studies and took certain accurate measurements of the Pyramid of Khafre between
1880 and 1882. Petrie determined the position of the burial chamber relative to the
vertical axis of the Pyramid, and corrected John Perring’s measurements. His
meticulous measurements and research report The Pyramids and Temples of Gizeh3
still remain in the golden fund of fundamental pyramid research.
• Uvo Hölscher, a German architect and Egyptologist, as part of the expedition of Ernst
von Sieglin, a German antiquities enthusiast, patron of culture and philanthropist,
conducted a large-scale excavation and research of the Khafre Pyramid complex
between 1909 and 1910. The aim of the research was to identify the architectural
features of the temples and their artistic design. Hölscher investigated the lower and
upper temples, the causeway, and cleared out the only known satellite pyramid. The
results of the excavations, drawings and restoration were published in 1912 in the first
volume titled Das Grabdenkmal Des Königs Chephren4, of the six-volume work
Veröffentlichungen Der Ernst Von Sieglin Expedition in Ägypten, whose editor was the
patron of the expedition himself, Ernst von Sieglin.
• Selim Hassan, an Egyptian archaeologist commissioned by Cairo University and
Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, organised the first expedition on a scale comparable
to those of his foreign colleagues between 1929 and 1939. Hassan’s expedition
cleared the mastabas and tombs carved into the rocks of the central area between the
Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khafre, as well as the causeway. While clearing the area
around the upper temple, Hassan discovered five boat pits on its north and south
sides and a deep cleft in the rock on the north-south axis, which he identified as the
sixth boat pit. The results of his excavations were published in a ten-volume
monumental work Excavations at Giza5.

2 Szabó, Andrián. The Pyramid of Khafre. Timeline of Archeological Exploration. Internet Resource, 2023.
3 Petrie, William Matthew Flinders. The Pyramids and Temples of Gizeh. London: Field & Tuer "The
Leadenhall Press", 1883.
4 Hölscher, Uvo. Das Grabdenkmal des Königs Chephren. Veröffentlichungen der Ernst von Sieglin
Expedition in Ägypten 1. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs'sche Buchhandlung, 1912.
5 Hassan, Selim. Excavations at Giza 6: 1934-1935. Part 1: The Solar-boats of Khafra, their Origin and
Development, together with the Mythology of the Universe which they are supposed to traverse. Cairo:
Government Press, 1946.
2
Andrián Szabó June 2023

• Vito Maragioglio and Celeste Ambrogio Rinaldi, Italian architects, published detailed
descriptions and scale drawings of the interior and exterior of the Pyramid of Khafre
and its complex in 1966 under the title L'Architettura delle Piramidi Menfite. Le
Piramidi di Zedefra e di Chefren6 as the 5th volume of a multi-volume study of the
pyramids of Memphis.
Today, the works of the above specialists provides the modern researcher the best
available material for studying the architectural and engineering features of the Pyramid of
Khafre. However, the materials in these works, primarily in the detailed drawings and
descriptions of the Italian architects Vito Maragioglio and Celeste Ambrogio Rinaldi, are
sufficient to build an architectural 3D model of the Pyramid and its complex.

Architectural Visualization
The architectural visualization of the Pyramids of Egypt offers unique advantages over
traditional design methods due to its ability to create a precise visual effect. The 3D
model reflects the form and essence of the building from different angles and
perspectives, thus helping other researchers to identify various architectural solutions,
possible deviations and structural flaws.
The results of the researches of the above authors were studied in order to recreate the
most accurate and detailed architectural 3D model of the Khafre Pyramid Complex.
The model was created by the architect Serafima Polikarpova in 1:1 scale in ArchiCAD, an
architectural BIM CAD program developed by Graphisoft for the design of architectural
structures and solutions, as well as landscape elements.
The bulk of the data for creating the model of the Pyramid and its surroundings were
taken from the almost unique work of L'Architettura delle Piramidi Menfite. Le Piramidi di
Zedefra e di Chefren by architects Vito Maragioglio and Celeste Ambrogio Rinaldi. Thanks
to their drawings, it was possible to build a state-of-the-art model of the Pyramid itself
with its well-known interiors and corridors, including those that are not accessible to the
public today. Moreover, the drawings of the said architects helped to build the entire
surrounding complex of the Pyramid, with a trench in the bedrock on its northern and
eastern sides, as well as the satellite pyramid GII-a, the mortuary and valley temples, the
causeway and boat pits. The measurements made by Flinders Petrie made it possible to
correct the lengths of the sides of the base of the Pyramid and the enclosure wall, as well
as to clarify the location of the burial chamber and, relative to it, the apex of the Pyramid.
An excavation report of Selim Hassan published in 1946, helped in many ways to clarify
the details of the boat pits he discovered. The inspiring work on the excavation of the
satellite pyramid, along with the drawings and reconstructions of the mortuary and valley
temples by such a highly qualified specialist as Uvo Hölscher, enabled to complete the
missing details of the mentioned buildings of the complex.
And finally, thanks to the kind consent of the Egyptian authorities, the author of this work
managed to create a high-resolution photo bank of all the chambers and corridors of the
Pyramid of Khafre accessible to the public, which, in turn, also helped to correct and
update some details known about the Pyramid.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the architect, engineer and specialist in
ancient Egyptian architecture, Franck Monnier, who, with his support and advice, helped
to correct some points regarding the bedrock foundation of the Pyramid and the

6Maragioglio, Vito and Celeste Ambrogio Rinaldi. L'Architettura delle Piramidi Menfite. Parte V. Le Piramidi
di Zedefra e di Chefren. Tavole. Tipografia Canessa: Rapallo, 1966.
3
Andrián Szabó June 2023

chambers and corridors located

in it.
I would like also to express my
sincere gratitude to the architect
Serafima Polikarpova, who, using
the above-mentioned works,
professionally, diligently and
patiently worked on a 3D model
of the Pyramid of Khafre and its
complex for few months,
eventually creating a digital
package of drawings.
The final architectural model in
PLN format for the ArchiCAD
software, along with the drawings
Section view of the interior structure of Khafre’s Pyramid. are available for free download on
Based on the 3D model made by Serafima Polikarpova
the All Pyramids project website
here: model and drawings.
The 3 pages of detailed technical drawings provided in this work were created from an
architectural 3D model of the Pyramid of Khafre and its complex, and made public in the
hope of helping everyone to delve into the details of the architectural and engineering
solutions of this monumental structure.

Conclusions
For some reason, the Pyramid of Khafre has always been ‘hidden’ from the eyes of not
only specialists, but also enthusiasts. Researchers pay more attention to the nearby Great
Pyramid, as well as the Great Sphinx. And only a few in the history of Egyptology have
tried to focus on the study of this unusual monument, which is in no way inferior to other
amazing megalithic structures of Ancient Egypt.
In recent years, the pyramids of the Giza Plateau have been explored using the most
advanced technologies by the French company Iconem, and the Japanese World Scan
Project. With the permission of the Egyptian authorities, they were able to conduct
detailed photogrammetric surveys and three-dimensional scanning of the entire complex
of the Khafre Pyramid, and other Pyramids in Egypt. However, unfortunately, the materials
of their research are only available to a few specialists, and rare details can only be seen
in documentaries and a few small publications.
The drawings attached to this work and, first of all, the architectural 3D model of the
Khafre Pyramid complex are intended for all interested specialists and amateurs to
explore this unusual monument without any registration or payment, and there is a hope
that in the future, with the advent of new and reliable data, the model will only be
supplemented and updated.
The work does not claim to be perfect or exhaustive, but strives to be so. Therefore, if the
reader has any comments or a desire to add details to the model itself or the drawings,
the author will gladly welcome them.
Viewing a simplified 3D model of the Pyramid of Khafre and its complex for those with an
account in the 3D Warehouse online platform is available here.

4
Andrián Szabó June 2023

Simplified 3D models of the Pyramid of Khafre and its complex in pln, skp, 3ds, bimx,
dwg, mtl, and obj formats7 are available here.
The mentioned model and drawings of the Great Pyramid complex are only a small part of
a large project called All Pyramids (allpyramids.com).
The All Pyramids project is dedicated to the collection, arrangement and digitization of
scientific information about all the pyramids and tombs in Egypt, and its conversion into a
unified searchable digital archive. We are facing an impressive body of knowledge
scattered across various, often hard to access sources in various languages.
In this archive the following is available to everyone:
- Detailed characteristics of the pyramids with links to sources and authors of studies,
- Exact geographic location,
- History of archaeological research,
- Laboratory and field studies,
- Architectural 3D models,
- Detailed technical drawings,
- Image bank with archival and contemporary photographs,
- The most complete bibliography.
Work on the archive is still in progress, since the volume of material is colossal, but even
now any researcher of the famous pyramids of Egypt can find a lot of information to suit
their needs.

Bibliography
Hassan, Selim. Excavations at Giza 6: 1934-1935. Part 1: The Solar-boats of Khafra, their
Origin and Development, together with the Mythology of the Universe which they are
supposed to traverse. Cairo: Government Press, 1946.
Hölscher, Uvo. Das Grabdenkmal des Königs Chephren. Veröffentlichungen der Ernst von
Sieglin Expedition in Ägypten 1. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs'sche Buchhandlung, 1912.
Maragioglio, Vito and Celeste Ambrogio Rinaldi. L'Architettura delle Piramidi Menfite.
Parte V. Le Piramidi di Zedefra e di Chefren. Tavole. Tipografia Canessa: Rapallo, 1966.
Maragioglio, Vito and Celeste Ambrogio Rinaldi. L'Architettura delle Piramidi Menfite.
Parte V. Le Piramidi di Zedefra e di Chefren. Testo. Tipografia Canessa: Rapallo, 1966.
Petrie, William Matthew Flinders. The Pyramids and Temples of Gizeh. London: Field &
Tuer "The Leadenhall Press", 1883.
Petrie, William Matthew Flinders. The Pyramids and Temples of Gizeh. New and Revised
Edition. London: Histories & Mysteries of Man Ltd., 1990 (1st ed. London: Field and Tuer,
1883).
Szabó, Andrián. The Pyramid of Khafre. Timeline of Archeological Exploration. Internet
Resource, 2023.

7 I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the architect Roman Drozhzhin for kindly helping in
formatting the finished model for use in other 3D programs.
5
 The Pyramid of Khafre Axonometric Site Plan.
The Complex
4 1
Legend:
Site Plan of the Khafre’s Pyramid Complex 1. Pyramid of Khafre 13 9 11
W 2. Entrance (upper) 10
3. Entrance (lower) 6 2
4. Inner enclosure wall 5
5. Entrance to the robbers’ tunnel 12
S N 6. Burial chamber
4

7. Mortuary (upper) temple

8700
8. Boat pits
3
E 9. Satellite pyramid

74 250

71 000
Trench around the Pyramid
10. Satellite pyramid’s enclosure wall
2 Drainage channel
71 330 11. Serdab 8
12. Satellite pyramid’s burial chamber

28 070
27 500

13 480
13. Outer enclosure wall
14. Valley (lower) temple
57 280
215 280 15. Sphinx temple
10 100 16. Sphinx
Entrance 13
Serdab
(lower)
17. Causeway 8
Satellite
Entrance 7

388 000
18. Underground passage
1 pyramid
to the robbers' tunnel
215 310

215 180
23 300

11 200
1
23 300
58 720 69 420
Entrance (upper)
131 220 Reconstructions of the Valley and Sphinx Temples
9900

215 270
17
128 100 18 East Facade of the Valley and Sphinx Temples
15 500

Drainage
29 300

44 600
31 000

channel
61 700
44 000 16 700
25 400
27 100

36 600
35 700

25 000
7600
59 200
60 100

16
111 200

Boat pits 17 650

14
74 000 73 000

Boat pits
Mortuary (upper) temple
56 200

Sections. Valley (lower) Temple

15
a-a b-b
GSPublisherVersion 0.1.100.100

Section 1-1. Khafre's Pyramid Complex

Underground passage
0
494 60

Pyramid of Khafre
Section 2-2. Khafre's Pyramid Complex

143 870
Inner enclosure wall Trench around the Pyramid

Satellite pyramid 58 720 69 420

0

Outer enclosure wall

286 12

Outer enclosure wall

53,1° 10,45
53,1°
8,50 9,50 Pyramid of Khafre
Sphinx
9 900

143 870
19 000
23 300 11 200
131 220 215 270 Inner enclosure wall
73 000

Outer enclosure
Valley (lower) temple wall
Trench around
Mortuary (upper) temple
Causeway the Pyramid
Sphinx temple Sphinx temple
51,1

~12 000
a 11 500 286 120 53,1° 10,45

Underground passage

~2 000
Valley (lower) temple
~40 000

b b 111 200 215 180 28 070 71 000

20 000

a
Underground Passage
Section c-c Fragment of the facade Causeway
Causeway C
73 000

2 Technical drawing made by

1100

Serafima Polikarpova
750

2000
2400

1 470 based on drawings by

C
V. Maragioglio & C. A. Rinaldi
 The Pyramid of Khafre
Diagram of the Pyramid's E-W Section Diagram of the Pyramid's N-S Section Layout Plan of the Inner Structure Relative to the Axes of the Pyramid

Bedrock

Section made of granite blocks

Inner enclosure wall
Entrance (upper) 215 280
Robbers' tunnel

Section made of limestone blocks Entrance (lower)

Burial chamber.
Additional chamber. Gable vault made of limestone blocks
Carved into the bedrock

~2 000

~5 000
~12 000

Burial chamber.
Gable vault made of limestone blocks.
Chamber walls carved into the bedrock

Chamber walls carved into the bedrock

215 310 215 270
GSPublisherVersion 0.2.100.100
Section of the corridor carved into the bedrock Entrance to robbers' tunnel
Burial chamber.

215 180
Gable vault made of limestone blocks. Robbers' tunnel
Detail A. Chamber walls carved into the bedrock

General View. Plan View and Section a-a. Section made of limestone blocks
3 120
Entrance (lower)

215 310

10 410
Plan View and Section 1-1. Satellite Pyramid Satellite Pyramid Internal Structure

12 450
12 270 8 610

14 150
Entrance
S
Inner enclosure wall
of the Pyramid of Khafre 8 640
Enclosure wall
4 990
31 080
N
7 180

GSPublisherVersion 0.2.100.100 4 060

Enclosure wall 26 550 2 280 ~ 105 394
8 000

2 630
of the satellite pyramid 53,8°
1 150 Entrance (upper)
0,30
0,00 Section made of granite blocks
Burial chamber

660
53,8°
53,8°

52
1 050

0
80 79 Section of the corridor
40 40
carved into the bedrock
Descending Limestone blocks
corridor
1 130
2 080

23 300
680

800 Detail B
Serdab 11 250
1 020
Detail B.
6 300

Plan View and Section. Serdab

4 550

13 920 2 560 0,20

14 950 Detail A N-S axis
Limestone blocks
400 29 600 Basement blocks

26
2 260

450

0
Burial chamber Inner enclosure wall
3 330

1 050

200
Entrance of the Pyramid of Khafre 0,00 Enclosure wall 0 230
72
5
Traces of plaster
780

850
751
670

N-S axis
7 780

1 000

2 900

1 050

0 Section 1-1
19
1 800
350 0 620
1 150

12
950

120
а а 37° 700

10
1

490
350 1

62
Entrance

800
3 340

0
80
4200

0
E

80
80
Burial chamber
1 1 600

620
400 26 150
bedrock 215 270

800
11 200 2 630
E-W axis
Pyramid base
1400

23 300
E-W axis 1
Descending
corridor 2600
GSPublisherVersion 0.2.100.100
E-W axis

Axonometric Projection. Cross-section 3-3. Satellite Pyramid Cross-section 4-4. Satellite Pyramid
W
Satellite Pyramid 4

S N
Burial chamber Entrance to serdab
3 3
Enclosure wall
4
E
Enclosure wall

Entrance

Descending corridor made of blocks

Entrance

Serdab Technical drawing made by

Descending corridor Descending corridor in the bedrock
Burial chamber Serafima Polikarpova
Burial chamber
Serdab based on drawings by
GSPublisherVersion 0.1.100.100 V. Maragioglio & C. A. Rinaldi
GSPublisherVersion 0.1.100.100

GSPublisherVersion 0.1.100.100
 The Pyramid of Khafre Plan 1
11 180
North face of the Pyramid
Robbers' tunnel
13 330

1 000
-3,327 390
N Cross-section a-a. Portcullis (upper)
2 710 2 000
а а
1 5 290

8 550
1
8 610 1 510
1 060

Entrance (upper)

Entrance (lower)

12
Plan Views and Sections of Pyramid Chambers Portcullis (upper)

50
50 20 0
6 0 4 1 2 84 50
18

900
-1
22
15

n1

1 360
700

io
ct

830
Inner enclosure wall
00
Se 31 7

1 150 1 920 850 1 230980

520
10

11 540
520
10 13 330
320
15
670 53,1° 10 100
19 810 Portcullis (upper) 17
12 270 26,3°

8 000
820 Pavement
11 290 19
10 060 11 180
34,1° 9 390 360 1 520
22

1 170
7 830 5 290
3 990 0
7 060 Robbers' tunnel 3
1400

9 2 000
340 5 730 24 0,00

1100
230
4 360 250
6 840

350
3 150 8 610 2 570 27
260
5 240

2 150
1 230
Cross-section b-b. Portcullis (lower)

3 270
ø 30 1 250 3 510 3 150
150

1 780
1 800

1 320
-3.270 6 200 390

1000
750

2 710 4 300

1340 1230

119
31 080 22,3° 7 010 1 060 1 510

12 600
0
Portcullis (lower)
4 990
Burial chamber
39 350 97 83
00 Section 2-2

9 330
00

00

6 836
12
Sharp edge Plaster
340

980
650
22,40°
150

2 850
34

850
21,4°

1 820
510
-12,60

1 180
Section 3-3. Section 4-4. 24
400

1050
2 610
1710 1 050
7330
Pyramid border
190

660

10 410 8 390
1630

770

770
1180

12 60

3
1400

2 610

15 750
2 340

1 840

1 840

20,3° 14 94
Portcullis (lower)
1200

6 70
0
3100
Legend:
Horizontal corridor No. 3. (lower) Section d-d
Additional chamber
Bedrock
Additional chamber 340 N-S axis
4 4

980

760
-14,94

2850
1270 550
Granite blocks Granite
Detail А Cross-section b-b. Portcullis (lower)

10 410

1 820
840
4 990
1100

Fine limestone blocks Bedrock Fine limestone

Section g-g
Section e-e Section f-f
1170 Inner enclosure wall
1 070

12 450
410 1 310
500

500
1 800
1800

2100

550
2 630 1 080

2850
Burial chamber 1 030 Entrance (lower)

850
1820

1270
Leveled bedrock floor 3 100
720
760

1 040
1050 90 1 050 190

Plan 2
300 300
Gap in the casing of the wall 10 100
14 150

Detail A 1070
8 550
13 330
230
-3,727 Ceiling border 8 390 Portcullis (lower)
g
f e 2 000
7 330 780
690

300
0,00
N

210
1 040

1050
270
1050
d d

1170
340
-3,327 -12,60
4 690

180
1 710

90
b b
410
2 650

fe 5 290
19 810
2 20 600
g
3 090
Niche
1 830
2
31 080 Pavement
15 750 Corridor axis
4 990 39 350

~105 394
3
Axonometric Projection.
Pyramid Interior
Burial chamber Sarcophagus
Fine limestone
Robbers' tunnel Internal view Section. Chamber Interior
Gable vault of limestone blocks Detail B
Plan Detail B Detail C
Gable vault of limestone blocks
i
Chamber walls and floor
carved into the bedrock

125

96

210

250
2150
30
Entrance to robbers' tunnel 2 210

970
50
h h

40
163
Burial chamber
137

i
Sarcophagus Detail C Section i-i
Section h-h

250

40

40
2 210

740

700
Entrance (upper)

970
2 150
Portcullis (upper) Granite

230

230
Entrance (lower) Entrance to the corridor 2 630

Entrance to the corridor

Additional chamber
Granite blocks
Granite blocks
Sarcophagus Technical drawing made by
Niche Serafima Polikarpova
Portcullis (lower) based on drawings by
V. Maragioglio & C. A. Rinaldi