The Great Sphinx of Giza is a giant reclining limestone sphinx located in Giza, Egypt that may date from the reign of King Khafre and depicts his face. It is one of Egypt’s most famous landmarks and arguably the most famous example of sphinx art.
Introduction to the Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt
The Great Sphinx of Giza is a giant stone statue located next to the Giza pyramid, Egypt. It is carved from limestone and has the face of a man and the body of a reclining lion. The statue is about 73m long and 20m high. And it has become the world’s oldest and largest monolithic sculpture.
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Statue of the Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt. Photo: @wikipedia
The main reason why the Sphinx was built is unknown, but some historians and archeology experts believe that the statues were sculpted to protect important areas. Likewise, the Great Sphinx Of Giza was built to protect the three great pyramids of Giza i.e. Khufu (Cheops), Khafre (Chephren) and Menkaura (Mycerinus) pyramids.
Archaeologists also believe that this giant sphinx was once colorful with its face painted red and its body painted blue and yellow. They also believe that the Sphinx once had a long beard and a nose, which is now missing.
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Photo: @egyptexplores_
What does the term sphinx mean?
Although the builder of the Great Sphinx of Giza remains a mystery, its naming and explanation of its true meaning remains a “very special mystery.” Initially, because there was no writing on the statue, we did not know its name and original purpose. Just over 2,000 years after the statue was created, it became known as the Sphinx – a term borrowed from Greek to refer to a legendary creature in the shape of a lion with wings. eagle and head of a woman. However, other Egyptian Sphinxes had the head of a man, the body of a lion, and lacked wings.
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There are many mysteries surrounding this sphinx statue. Photo: @yumihigashino
History of the construction of the Great Sphinx of Giza
Built in 2500 BC, during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, the Great Sphinx of Giza is located on the Giza plateau in front of the Giza Pyramids. The Sphinx was submerged under the desert and the first recorded attempt to clear the sand was made in 1400 BC.
After a series of restoration processes, the giant structure was once again buried under sand up to its neck when Napoleon arrived in Egypt in 1798. After that, many excavation projects were carried out to clear the sand from the year 1798. 1816 to 1858 by several scientists, famous antiquarians including Giovanni Caviglia, Auguste Mariette and Gaston Maspero but were forced to abandon the process due to sand.
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Photo: @silviandres
Who built the Great Sphinx of Giza?
The simplest answer is that no one knows exactly. However, there have been many theories put forth based on scientific research, religious views, and even theories about aliens. One of the most popular theories is that the Great Sphinx of Giza represents an astronomical structure, used to commemorate the dead. Each of these hypotheses comes with a basis but none can be considered completely reliable.
Some people even say that the Great Sphinx of Giza was built before other large pyramid temples in the area, while others say it was built later. Currently, the general consensus is that the statue’s face represents King Khafre, meaning that the statue was probably created during Khafre’s reign and bears a close resemblance to the king’s face.
Khafre is said to have built the second pyramid temple at Giza, so many people believe that he also built the Great Sphinx of Giza. However, Egyptologists disagree about Khafre’s role and suggest that the Great Sphinx may have existed before his reign.
There is a paved road right next to the statue, so many believe that the statue was built during Khafre’s time, while others believe that it was designed by Khafre, not built. Therefore, to this day, the answer is still open and there is no exact answer.
