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Egypt's Sphinx Statue

The Sphinx is a mythical creature with a human head, lion body, and bird wings, significant in Ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology. The Great Sphinx of Giza, built around 2550 B.C.E. by Khafre, is the oldest monumental sculpture in Egypt and is located beside the Great Pyramids. Myths surrounding the Sphinx include misconceptions about the loss of its nose, which predates Napoleon's campaign and was likely caused by deliberate damage.

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Manekjyot Singh
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68 views8 pages

Egypt's Sphinx Statue

The Sphinx is a mythical creature with a human head, lion body, and bird wings, significant in Ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology. The Great Sphinx of Giza, built around 2550 B.C.E. by Khafre, is the oldest monumental sculpture in Egypt and is located beside the Great Pyramids. Myths surrounding the Sphinx include misconceptions about the loss of its nose, which predates Napoleon's campaign and was likely caused by deliberate damage.

Uploaded by

Manekjyot Singh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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The Sphinx Statue of Giza -

Facts and Myths


Manekjyot Singh (English Practical 24-25)
What is a Sphinx?
● A Sphinx is a
mythical creature in
Ancient Greek and
Egyptian mythology.
● It had the head of a
human, the body of
a lion, and the
wings of a bird (like
an eagle).
Giza
● Giza, Egypt, is a city
famous for its
pyramids and the
statue of a sphinx
located there.
● It is located on the
west bank of the Nile
river, directly across
from Cairo.
● It is the third most
populous city in Egypt.
The Great Sphinx of
Giza
● The Great Sphinx of
Giza is a limestone
statue of a reclining
sphinx located beside
the Great Pyramids of
Giza.
● It is 70 m long and 20
m tall, with a 19 m
width.
● It was built around
2550 B.C.E.
Facts about the
Sphinx
● The Sphinx Statue
was most probably
built by Khafre, with
the face representing
his own.
● The Sphinx Statue
was originally built
from bedrock, but was
covered by limestone
blocks later.
Facts about the
Sphinx
● The Sphinx is the oldest
known monumental
sculpture in Egypt, older
than the Pyramids of
Giza.
● A granite slab inscribed
by Thutmose IV (an
Egyptian pharaoh), called
the Dream Stele, is
present between the
paws of the Sphinx.
Myths about the
Sphinx
● The Sphinx’s nose was
not blown off by French
troops during Napoleon’s
1798 Egyptian campaign.
In fact, its absence has
been referred to as early
as the 15th century by the
historian al-Maqrizi.
● The nose was probably
broken off using rods and
chisels in a deliberate
manner.
Facts about the
Sphinx
● The ‘Sphinx’ is not the
original name of the
statue. Its original,
Egyptian name is
unknown. The name
‘Sphinx’ was assigned to
it by the Greeks.
● An Egyptian civilisation
from after the building of
the statue referred to it as
Hor-em-akhet.

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