The Sphinx of Giza

General Description

• Body: Lion
• Head: Human
• Symbolic monument of Egypt
• Giza Necropolis: Erected by the will of Pharaoh Khafre
• Historical witness: Old Kingdom and Egyptian funerary traditions

Giza Necropolis Complex

• Three main pyramids: Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure
• Others: 6 smaller pyramids, mastabas, temples
• Position of the Sphinx: Guarding the entrance to Khafre's funerary temple and pyramid

Characteristics of the Sphinx

• Material: Single block of limestone
• Dimensions: 20 meters high at the tallest point, 73 meters long
• Record: Largest monolithic statue in the world
• Depiction: Androsphinx (lion body and human head)
• Headdress: Nemes, typical of pharaohs
• Features: Inspired by Khafre
• Orientation: Facing the rising sun

Significance and Deterioration

• Pharaohs: Considered direct descendants of the sun god Ra
• Time and neglect: Caused deterioration
• Document by Pliny the Elder: Once painted red

Trivia

• Painted red: Imagine an entirely red Sphinx