Great Sphinx

The Sphinx is considered one of the largest statues in the world, as it is 20 meters long and 73 meters wide. It is distinguished by the body of a lion and the head of a human, and its head is decorated with a royal headdress. It is a statue carved from a single piece of limestone. According to some estimates, it took It was built in about three years by 100 workers using stone hammers and copper chisels. Most historical scholars believe that the Sphinx belongs to the fourth ruling dynasty added by Khafre. However, some believe that it was built by Khafre’s elder brother, Djedefre, to commemorate their father Khufu. These scholars point out that the face of the Great Sphinx bears a greater resemblance to Khafre. Which led to rumors that Khufu himself was the one who built the statue. 

Location of the Sphinx

The Great Sphinx is located near the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. The history of this statue dates back approximately 4,500 years. It is considered one of the largest archaeological monuments in the world, and one of the most ancient monuments known to the ancient Egyptians. It is a prominent figure in Egyptian and Asian mythology. In Greek, the Sphinx is depicted as a Pharaonic man. The most common theories indicate that the Great Sphinx was built for Pharaoh Khafre in the period between 2603-2578 BC. Hieroglyphic texts also indicate that Khufu, Khafre’s father, built the Great Pyramid, which is considered the largest and oldest of the pyramids of Giza. When Khafre became pharaoh, he built His own pyramid is next to his father’s pyramid.

The goal of building the Sphinx

The three pyramids were built as a tomb to protect the king’s body, and to preserve the supplies that he would need in the other world from thieves. It was also believed that its building was pointed at the top of the pyramid, to be a starting point for the king’s soul to ascend to the sky and join the sun god. But in the nineteenth century, a hole exploded on the northern side of the Great Pyramid, and it has become the entrance to the pyramid recently. Today, visitors enter from the structure’s corridor that leads to the Great Gallery, which is a wide corridor with a height of 8.53 meters, to reach the King’s Chamber, which Its walls are lined with solid red granite, so they can see the king’s coffin that was broken by thieves, and it is the only thing that was left in the room, because they did not know how to get it out of the corridor.

General information about the Sphinx

The Sphinx is located ten kilometers west of Cairo, on the west bank of the Nile River. The Sphinx was worshiped by Egyptian rulers as an aspect of the sun god. The Great Sphinx is located in part of the ancient necropolis of Memphis, which was considered the seat of pharaonic power, and a short distance from the Great Pyramids. It is believed that the head of the Sphinx was originally a dark red color, but it was affected by the corrosion process over the years, causing the color to disappear. The small temple located between the feet of the Sphinx contains dozens of engraved paintings, which were placed by the pharaohs in honor of the sun god. The Sphinx statue is distinguished by the strange fact that the body’s special head does not fit with its body. It is believed that its head was carved several times by subsequent pharaohs. It is also believed that the head of this statue was originally the head of a falcon or a ram, and after that it was transformed and carved into the shape of a head. Human later.