The mystery Of the Great Sphinx of Egypt

Essay by filosfer2University, Bachelor'sA+, March 2004

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The Mystery of The Sphinx

When you think of Egypt, you might start to think about the many wonders that have arrived from the modernized, but ancient land. First you might think of the Great Pyramids of Giza and why and how they got there. Also, there are the ancient writings, known as hieroglyphics, and how they tell parts of the ancient Egyptian's history. These are all interesting, but for me the most marvelous and intriguing part of the mysterious history, are the stories of the Great Sphinx.

The Great Sphinx is a statue with the body of a male lion with the head of a king or a god. The Great Sphinx was carved from soft, natural limestone and of some relatively delicate stone on the Giza Plateau. It has extensions which fan out at the sides of the head which make the likeness of a Pharaoh's head dress.

At one time there was a cobra-like headpiece which was believed to protect Egyptians from evil, and a narrow beard. The beard and also the nose has fallen off in time. It was once believed that the nose was shot off by Napoleon's army but was later discover to be false. An Arabian author Al Maqrizi stated, "In 1397 a man by the name of Saim el Dahr chopped off the nose of the Sphinx."(Sunship) The reasoning behind this act is still unknown. It is approximately 150 feet long and 65 feet high with 50 feet paws and a head that measure 30 feet high and 14 feet wide. Between the paws of the Sphinx and in front of his chest, is the carving of a story. This is called the "Dream Stela." This has the story of Thutmose IV (1400B.C.E. - 1390 B.C.E.). This story dates from the first...