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| Sunday, 19 December 2004 |
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Junior Observer |  |
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The man-lion statue The Statue of the Great Sphinx is much a symbol of Egypt as the Pyramids of Giza. The statue is located close to the three pyramids, about which we have already talked, in Egypt's Valley of the Dead.
The statue is built in limestone; one part of it is made of a single large rock while the other part comprises several cubes of rocks. Some of these cubes were three times as large as those used in the pyramids. It is 70 metres in length and 20 metres in width. The Great Sphinx is believed to have been constructed by King Khafre of the Pharaoh dynasty in 2250 BC. Some believe the statue to be a symbol of Egyptian royalty and it is thought that it was built there to "protect" the great pyramids in the Valley of the Dead. The word 'sphinx' is said to have been derived from the Egyptian word meaning life-like image. The man-lion image of the Sphinx is not confined to Egypt. It has also existed during the Mesopotamian civilization based around the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and later during the Persian civilization. With a few changes here and there, it spread to Catholic churches as well, during the medieval era. There are records that Greeks brought a replica of the Sphinx to the city of Thebes during the 1600s and named it Hermachus. Many statues both big and small belonging to ancient Egyptian civilizations have been found, but the Great Sphinx is the largest and the most well-known among them all. It was a tradition among Egyptians of the day to build statues of their kings attached to the body of some animal, for instance a lion, fox, hawk or eagle, as they believed that these kings had the strength, power, speed and tact of such animals. It was a common belief among them that the Great Sphinx invites important people to come close and asks them riddles. Those who give the correct answers gain many benefits, while those who fail to provide the proper answers are punished. Once, it is said to have asked Alexander the Great to name the animal who 'speaks with one voice, walks first on four limbs, then on two and last on three limbs'. The king had replied 'a human being'. The statue had approved the answer and had told the king that he is suitable to rule Egypt. A few days later, when Alexander the Great came in front of the Egyptians dressed like a Pharaoh king, they had welcomed him with open arms. **** The site of independence celebrations The Independence Square is an easily recognisable site located at Torrington Place in Colombo 7. The building, which is very impressive in appearance, is surrounded with rows of granite pillars and around the structure you can see statues of lions built of granite. It is surrounded by beautiful fountains, ponds and lush, beautifully landscaped and well-maintained gardens.
The ceremony to grant independence to Sri Lanka (Ceylon) was held in an improvised pavilion at the Independence Square, attended by Britain's Duke of Gloucester who represented his brother King George VI (the king of England at the time), who officially declared independence to Sri Lanka. The national flag of Sri Lanka was hoisted on this occasion on the flagstaff at the premises, heralding the birth of freedom to the island nation. The Independence Square continues to be the main site of Sri Lanka's National Day celebrations when the Head of State, other politicians, religious dignitaries, foreign diplomats as well as thousands of schoolchildren gather at the site. It has also been the cremation site for many important people including the first prime minister of Independent Sri Lanka D. S. Senanayake. |
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| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
The Statue of the Great Sphinx, which rises facing the desert, is one
of the seven wonders of the modern world. The statue is of a man's head
attached to the body of a lion. It is said that the face had been carved
to resemble the face of King Chephron who belonged to the fourth dynasty
of Egypt.
The Independence Square was constructed to commemorate Sri Lanka
becoming an independent state on February 4, 1948. It is the modern
recreation of a Kandyan audience hall and despite being criticised by
various people as a characterless, concrete structure, it is nevertheless
a beautiful and impressive building.
