The Sphinx at Giza at night, Egypt. Courtesy of the Egyptian State Tourist Office in London
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The Sphinx
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When:
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Daily
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Where:
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Pyramids at Giza
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| Costs: |
Free
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| Opening Hours: |
Accessible 24 hours
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One of the oldest surviving structures in Egypt (and that's pretty old), the enigmatic Sphinx is carved from one vast block of limestone, with the body of a lion and a human head.
The true origins of the sphinx are unclear. While the scholarly consensus agrees that it was built by Khafre, who built the largest of the three Pyramids of Giza, others argue that it was already in place when the pyramids were built. Some claim that the patterns of erosion on its surface indicate water damage, a bit strange seeing that the Giza area has been pretty dry for the last 6000 years. The riddle of the Sphinx has been rumbling so long, it's unlikely its origins will ever be revealed.
One of the most persistent myths surrounding the Sphinx is that its nose was blown off by the troops of Napoleon, who used it for target practice. This is complete rubbish.
Several destructive forces converged on the Sphinx through the centuries before Napoleon came to Egypt, including in 1380AD when the iconoclastic ardour of Mohammed Sa'im al-Dahr, a fanatical Muslim, damaged the ears and nose. He was lynched by the locals afterwards. Then the Mamluks did indeed use the monument as target practice. The charge against Napoleon is particularly unfair because he brought a team of savants to Egypt to study its rich lore and civilisation.
The Sphinx remains unperturbed, gazing down on tourists today with the same calm eyes which watched the Ancient Egyptian empire rise and fall, the troops of Napoleon trot by and the tanks of the Second World War rumble through.
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