The Sphinx is a mythological creature with the body of a lion and the head of a person, ram, or falcon. The most famous depiction is the Great Sphinx in Egypt. The creature acted as a guardian in Egypt, Greece, and the Middle East. The Sphinx’s role in the temple and pyramid complex was probably that of a guardian. The Great Sphinx was built around 2500 BC and its builder is unknown. The statue was created by excavating an outcrop and carving from the exposed stone. The Sphinx is 65 feet tall and 185 feet long. It has sustained damage over the years, possibly due to natural flaws in the limestone and severe weather conditions.
A sphinx is a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern mythological creature with the body of a lion and the head of a person, ram, or falcon. The most famous depiction is probably the Great Sphinx at Giza in Egypt, and when people talk about “The Sphinx,” that’s usually what they’re thinking of. Indeed, numerous depictions of these creatures can be found throughout Egypt, the Middle East and Greece, and have occasionally been included as a theme in European artwork at various times.
The Egyptian name for the sphinx has been lost to history; the word comes from a Greek word meaning “to strangle,” a reference to the Greek version. In Greek mythology, the creature had the face of a woman and dared passers-by to answer riddles. If they didn’t answer, she threatened to strangle them. One of the riddles is especially well known: what walks on all fours in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening?
The Great Sphinx appears to have been built around 2500 BC, from an existing rock outcrop. Evidence suggests that the statue was created by excavating the outcrop and then carving from the exposed stone, and that it was at one point the center of a large temple complex connected to the Great Pyramids. The massive statue faces east, with a small temple between its front legs. For centuries, it was largely buried in sand, until it was excavated in the early 20th century.
Historians are not only confused about what the Sphinx was called, they are also not sure who built it. For many years, people assumed that the statue was built by Pharaoh Khafra, as the pyramid of him is located just behind it. However, the records conflict; the Sphinx may have been built by Khafra’s father or by someone else. In any case, the statue’s role in the temple and pyramid complex was probably that of guardian.
Sphinx iconography often includes the idea that the creature acts as a guardian. In Egypt, they were built along walkways leading to temple compounds and depicted in artwork in positions that suggested they were meant to protect. The Greeks appear to have borrowed the legendary beast from the Egyptians and their sphinx also served as a guardian, as did those depicted in Middle Eastern art.
At its highest point, the Great Sphinx is 65 feet (20 meters) tall and the statue is approximately 185 feet (57 meters) long. Modern visitors to the statue often comment on the damage it has sustained over the years. Archaeologists suspect much of this damage was caused by natural flaws in the limestone that were exacerbated by severe weather conditions; even the smog of nearby Cairo seems to have a deleterious effect on it. A legend persists that the Sphinx was used for shooting practice by Napoleon’s troops, which would have caused the statue’s nose to fall off; in fact, evidence suggests that the nose was destroyed before Napoleon was even born.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
