Great Sphinx of Giza
About Great Sphinx of Giza
The Great Sphinx of Giza is (not surprisingly) located at Giza, and is one of the most iconic statues in the world. It was hewn from an outcrop of rock and faces the sunrise from its location beside the causeway to the Mortuary Temple of Khafra. It measures 187 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 65 feet high, and was likely built during the mid 3rd millennium BC.
The Sphinx has the head of a man and the body of a lion. Some believe that it is meant to represent Khafra, although this is a matter of some debate. It was buried by sand after the abandonment of the Giza Necropolis and wasn’t fully dug out until 1925. The Sphinx’s nose is missing, perhaps due to vandalism or due to erosion. Restoration work on the Sphinx has been done since it was excavated, but it is still deteriorating.
The Great Sphinx also serves as the narrator during the sound and light shows at Giza.
The Sphinx has the head of a man and the body of a lion. Some believe that it is meant to represent Khafra, although this is a matter of some debate. It was buried by sand after the abandonment of the Giza Necropolis and wasn’t fully dug out until 1925. The Sphinx’s nose is missing, perhaps due to vandalism or due to erosion. Restoration work on the Sphinx has been done since it was excavated, but it is still deteriorating.
The Great Sphinx also serves as the narrator during the sound and light shows at Giza.
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First To Review:
Jul 19, 2009
When you look up the word enigma in the dictionary, there should be a picture of the sphinx. The pyramids are amazing and awe inspiring, but the sphinx exudes a sense of mystery, and gives the impression that it is almost laughing at all the people who stand slack-jawed looking at the pyramids, as if to say: "Hey, you think those things are amazing. You have no idea. I was around for centuries before they were even thought about."
Nov 17, 2008
The sphinx is pretty incredible. I had no idea how big it actually is! We spent an amazing day at the Sphinx and pyramids, but a few days later we decided to go back....only this time for the sound and lights show at night! It was definitely cheesy, but to see the pyramids lit up at night was well worth it! And if you can get past the fact that the sphinx is the narrator you'll learn quite a bit too!
And the hour long cab ride we took to get there and back was worth the trip in itself! What a ride! There's nothing quite like driving in Egypt! :)
And the hour long cab ride we took to get there and back was worth the trip in itself! What a ride! There's nothing quite like driving in Egypt! :)
Sep 12, 2009
There I stood in front of a giant creature with the head of a human and a lion's body. I was awe-struck, transfixed, attempting to understand what stood before me. Certainly, it is a monumental statue, the first truly grand royal sculpture in Egypt. It stirred my imagination, as it has for countless others for countless years. I wondered about it, its meaning, its creators, and the secrets it could tell, if it only it spoke. This was a “must experience” for me.
Good Journeys!
Good Journeys!
Jun 13, 2008
They have begun renonvating the bottom of the Sphinx, I don't know if they are going to rebuild the entire thing but I think that would ruin it. As of now you are only allowed on the left side of the Sphinx. They believe that the Sphinx was there long before the Pyramids and this might be why they chose to build the pyramids there. No one really knows.
May 2, 2010
The Sphinx is 70 meters long and 20 meters high. The word sphinx is derived from a Greek word which means to bind. This sphinx represents a recumbent lion with a human head as the ancient Egyptians wanted to connect between power and intelligence.
Read more at :
http://memphistours.com/about-egypt/Sphinx.php
Read more at :
http://memphistours.com/about-egypt/Sphinx.php
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