The Sphinx near Cairo in Egypt is perhaps the best-recognised monument in the world. Made of limestone, it is large being 73 metres long by 20 metres high. Sitting close to the Great Pyramid of Giza, it appears to be mysterious in several ways. For a start, there is debate over what it is. The sphinx has the body of a lion, and the head of a woman (although this is not universally believed). The Great Sphinx of Giza is believed to have the head of a man wearing a pharaoh’s headdress. It is thought to be in the region of 4,500 years old.
This is the largest sphinx but it is not unique. In Luxor, formally known in ancient Egypt as Thebes, there are two temples; Luxor and the much larger Karnak. Joining them is a two-mile-long walkway with hundreds of sphinx on either side. I have taken this walk and can also highly recommend visiting Luxor if you have the chance.
Sphinxs exist in other parts of the world and this is also where you can find ones with a female head and some with wings attached. In Greece, they had a sphinx with not only wings but the tail of a serpent as well.
We do not know if the face of the Great Sphinx is supposed to resemble anyone in particular. Several candidates have been put forward over the years. Some have suggested it is the pharaoh Khufu who had the Great Pyramid built as his tomb. Others say it might be of his son, Kharfre. There are theories that say it is the god Horus or the pharaoh Amenemhat II.
The sphinx has even been the focus of the hunt for the lost Hall of Records. This was supposed to have been a library of thousands of papyrus scrolls describing the history of ancient Egypt. It was lost, perhaps destroyed or was it hidden? Tunnels have been discovered near the sphinx and it is said that there is a hidden room within the body of the monument which may hold this treasure. Unfortunately, all the research has not come up with anything.
The sphinx is one of humankind’s greatest monuments, but it is under attack from two directions. The wind and sandstorms have taken their toll on the statue and are slowly grinding away its features. And there is danger from below. It appears that the water table beneath the sphinx is rising. This is because of so much rubbish being thrown into a nearby canal. Pumps have now been installed but the water has already eaten away part of the base. It is too valuable a part of history to be lost. Let us hope that it will be saved.
John Pullen 