The Sphinx at Giza

Dear Diary,

We were seated on a branch of a great oak tree in the countryside of England. We had just finished the journey through the Modern World Wonders and were discussing our great journey. "It was really fascinating, wasn't it?" said Guide Bird. "My favourite was the Taj Mahal," said Koshy Bird. "It was very beautiful," she added with a smile.

"Where are we going next?" asked another member of our group. "Why don't we visit the Sphinx in Egypt? We came across it while we were on our way to Giza, but we couldn't see it because Little Blue Birdie was in a hurry to go home," said Maria, pointing a wing at me.

"All right now, don't make a huge fuss about it. Let us make it our next destination. Even our readers would like it," the Guide Bird said, settling the matter once and for all. So, the following morning, we were on our way to the Sphinx.

The Great Sphinx can be found near the banks of the Nile, facing east, away from the pyramid of Khafra (near modern-day Cairo). With dimensions of 20 metres in height, 57 metres in length and 6 metres in width, the Great Sphinx of Giza is the largest structure created from a single piece of stone. It is also an edifice identical with ancient Egyptian culture and remains masked in mystery.

The structure has the body of a lion and the face of a man. "Some believe it is the face of a king," explained Guide Bird.

The age of the Sphinx is not known, with guesses varying between 6,000 and even 13,000 years of age.

The commonly-held belief is that it was created somewhere in the 2700s BC, and many believe it to have been created at the will of King Khafra, whose pyramid, the Sphinx happens to be situated in front of it, though more recently, it was suggested that the construction was set by Khafra's half-brother, Djedefre, in the image of their father, Khufu.

The monument was given the name 'Sphinx' due to its likeness to a Greek legendary creature with the head of a woman, the body of a lion and the wings of a bird. The name used by ancient Egyptians is still unconfirmed, though texts from ancient times suggest names such as 'balhib' or 'bilhaw'.

As the years passed after its construction, the areas around the Sphinx were left to mercy of the elements, covering much of it in sand. A piece of stone covered in writing, called the Dream Stela, tells of a young prince who fell asleep against the parts untouched by the sandand drifted into sleep.

He dreamed that the Sphinx talked to him, promising him kingship over Egypt if he could clear all of the sand. This prince later came to be known as Thutmose IV. It is also believed that Ramesses II removed the sand later, and that the last large clearance took place around 1925.

Over the years, the Egyptian Sphinx has not remained in perfect condition. As seen in photographs, the defacement (ruining) of the Sphinx goes beyond simple erosion by the elements. The story goes that the loss of the Sphinx's nose is due to Napoleon's army using the monument as target practice.

There are drawings and engravings however, which show that the Sphinx had been noseless for well over a hundred years before Napoleon even arrived.

There were three tunnels built in the Sphinx, but the passage of time has left the destinations unreachable and the tunnels themselves seem to stop short. Because of the limited resources and writing found on and around the Sphinx, little else is known about the structure. All that we can be sure of is its enormous size and the level of quality required to build it.

Our journey to the Sphinx was wonderful. We are planning to visit the British Museum next to see the beard of the Sphinx statue. Until then, bye!

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