| Built about 2500 B.C, the Sphinx is one of the best | | | | sand erosion. |
| known monuments of ancient Egyptian Architecture. | | | | Due to the bad erosion, both the ancient Kings and the |
| This monument structure is carved out of a single | | | | modern rulers have done various restorations just to |
| ridge of stone which is about 73 meters long and 20 | | | | maintain its structure. For instance, Price Thutmose IV |
| meters high. It represents the body of a lion and the | | | | was the first person to restore the monument in 1400 |
| head of a king or a god. The great Sphinx is located | | | | B.C after being told to remove all the sand around it by |
| on the Giza plateau (part of the necropolis of ancient | | | | Hor-Akhty the sun God through a dream as he was |
| Memphis) situated about six miles West of Cairo. It is | | | | sleeping under the shade of the Sphinx. In his dream, |
| believed that this statue was build probably to signify | | | | he was promised that he would become the King of |
| the wisdom, strength and powers of the pharaohs. As | | | | Egypt if he obeyed the Hor-Akhty. Two years later |
| a result of the changing desert terrain, this mysterious | | | | after the restoration, his dream was fulfilled and he |
| statue has been buried with sand several times over | | | | actually became the King. |
| the past causing the soft parts of the monument to | | | | Today the wind, humidity and the pollution from the |
| erode. | | | | modern Cairo have continued to damage the soft |
| Up to today, the exact time of the construction of the | | | | stone monument. This has resulted to more repairs |
| Great Sphinx is not yet known. The purpose for which | | | | which have sometimes caused even more damage. |
| it was modeled and the person who constructed it is | | | | Some parts of the monument beard are still displayed |
| also not known. One unique feature of the statue is | | | | in the Cairo and British Museum in London. However, |
| the presence of a paint residue which suggests that it | | | | many Egyptian anthropologists disagree with this, |
| was originally beautifully colored. The head-piece | | | | claiming that those parts of the beard do not resemble |
| resembles the colorful attire traditionally worn by the | | | | the remaining beard in the monument. Visitors are |
| Pharaohs of the ancient Egypt. The nose was shot | | | | forbidden from climbing the pyramids and the Giza |
| off by the Turkish soldiers during shooting practices | | | | Pyramids are open to the public from 08.00AM and |
| while the beard has worn out through heavy wind and | | | | closes at 05.00PM. |