The Great Sphinx
The Great Sphinx of Giza, commonly referred to as just the Sphinx, is a limestone statue of a mythical creature that has a man's head and the reclining body of a lion. The Great Sphinx is one of the world's largest and oldest statues. Carved from bedrock on the west bank of the Nile, the Sphinx faces directly to the east. Behind it rise the Great Pyramids of Giza.
Over all, the Sphinx measures 240 feet (73 m) long from paw to tail, 66 feet (20 m) high from the base to the top of the head and 62 feet (19 m) wide at its rear haunches. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt and is commonly believed to have been designed, sculpted, and constructed by ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom during the reign of the pharaoh Khafre (c. 2558–2532 BC).
Drifting sand eventually buried the Sphinx up to its shoulders. In 1817 the first modern archaeological dig uncovered the Sphinx's chest completely, as seen here. But it wasn't until 1887, that the chest, paws, and body were all made visible. This photo was taken by the German photographer, Wilhelm Hammerschmidt, who was active in the Middle East between about 1864 and 1869, the year of his death. Although the CDV photo is marked on the reverse "C.T.H. 1869" this is most likely a reference to the original owner of the photo and the date he acquired it; not the date the photo was taken. The photo was most likely taken about 1865. This photo thus predates the complete excavation of the Sphinx that revealed its full size and extent.
The Great Sphinx
The Great Sphinx of Giza, commonly referred to as just the Sphinx, is a limestone statue of a mythical creature that has a man's head and the reclining body of a lion. The Great Sphinx is one of the world's largest and oldest statues. Carved from bedrock on the west bank of the Nile, the Sphinx faces directly to the east. Behind it rise the Great Pyramids of Giza.
Over all, the Sphinx measures 240 feet (73 m) long from paw to tail, 66 feet (20 m) high from the base to the top of the head and 62 feet (19 m) wide at its rear haunches. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt and is commonly believed to have been designed, sculpted, and constructed by ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom during the reign of the pharaoh Khafre (c. 2558–2532 BC).
Drifting sand eventually buried the Sphinx up to its shoulders. In 1817 the first modern archaeological dig uncovered the Sphinx's chest completely, as seen here. But it wasn't until 1887, that the chest, paws, and body were all made visible. This photo was taken by the German photographer, Wilhelm Hammerschmidt, who was active in the Middle East between about 1864 and 1869, the year of his death. Although the CDV photo is marked on the reverse "C.T.H. 1869" this is most likely a reference to the original owner of the photo and the date he acquired it; not the date the photo was taken. The photo was most likely taken about 1865. This photo thus predates the complete excavation of the Sphinx that revealed its full size and extent.