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MRS. STÉPHANIE YILMAZ
THE SPHINX OF GIZA
Adam.F
You are going to learn about the sphinx, such as what it’s used for…
The Sphinx of Giza is a monumental statue featuring the human face of a pharaoh and the elongated body of a lion, standing in front of the pyramids at the Giza site.
The Sphinx of Giza is a massive monument measuring 73 meters in length, 20 meters in height, and 14 meters in width.
From the tips of its paws to the base of its tail, it measures 57 meters. Its ears measure 1.37 meters and its nose 1.70 meters.
It is carved into a natural promontory forty meters high in the limestone of the Mokattam Formation. Its head, facing the rising sun, is fairly well preserved, as it was carved from a bed of hard limestone located in front of the large quarry that supplied the blocks for the pyramids.
The body of the sphinx, carved from layers of nummulitic limestone* (microfossils) that are much more fragile, takes the form of a reclining lion, stretched out at full length. It is carved from a natural promontory on the limestone plateau and weighs nearly 20,000 tons.
The Sphinx of Giza is one of the most famous monuments of ancient Egypt.
Its head, in particular, is the subject of much speculation.
The body and head are carved directly from the rock, but the outstretched legs were constructed using masonry.
Originally, the Sphinx was covered in painted plaster, traces of which remain. The face and body were red, and the nemes* (headdress) was blue and yellow.
The foundations of a temple, known as the Temple of the Sphinx, were found nearby.
The Sphinx of Giza is a stone statue of a king, likely with later additions, such as the pink granite stele placed between its paws by Thutmose IV(4).
This tells the story of how the king had the sphinx cleared of sand to please a god who had appeared to him in a dream, promising him the throne of Egypt in return.
The Sphinx was very, very, veeeery revered!