The Sphinx is one of the best known monuments on Earth and dates
back
over 4,500 years to the Old Kingdom and the
time of king Khafre - builder of the second largest pyramid on
the
Giza plateau on Cairo's outskirts. The head of the Sphinx probably
depicts
Khafre,
while the body is that of a recumbent lion. The Sphinx is about 73.5 metres in length.
It was originally
sculptured
from a limestone outcrop and, for most of its history, the Sphinx has
been
at least partly covered in sand. The first recorded clearing took place
in the 18th Dynasty when a prince, who later became the pharaoh Thutmose
IV, ordered that the sand be removed. This happened after he
supposedly
had a dream in which he was told that he would become pharaoh if he
cleared
the Sphinx.
The Sphinx, the Sphinx
Temple
and the Valley Temple of Khafre.
In front of the Sphinx is its temple, while adjacent to it is the
better
preserved Valley Temple of Khafre. A causeway, seen behind the Sphinx
in
the photograph above, connected Khafre's Mortuary Temple next
to
his pyramid with the Valley Temple. At night, Sound & Light shows
are
performed at Giza and the audience is seated in an area located to the
left of this view.
| At night, a Sound And Light show is performed relating the history of Egypt and the Sphinx. The show is viewed from an area to the east of the Sphinx and pyramids and you should check the language schedule. A view of the Sphinx from behind the west side |