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The Sphinx is perhaps the most enigmatic of Egypt's monuments, the largest free-standing sculpture of the ancient world, carved from the living rock of the Giza plateau.
The massive figure with a lion's body and a human head is believed to date from the reign of Pharaoh Khafre, owing to the similarity of the head to statues of the king and the fact that the Sphinx also sits beside the causeway connecting Khafre's pyramid to his valley temple. The body has eroded badly over the centuries and the lower parts (including the massive front paws) had been augmented with an outer face of masonry even in ancient times, much of which has undergone restoration in more recent times.
The head wears the traditional nemes head-dress of a king and originally would have been crowned by a ureaus cobra on the forehead and a platted beard on the chin (fragments of which are preserved in museums). The lower parts of the head-dress beside the neck had been lost to wind erosion long ago, leaving the head the rather fragile appearance it has in old drawings and photographs. New masonry was added to reinforce the neck and restore a semblance of the original outline in the early 20th century to save it from further damage.
There is some speculation that the Sphinx could be much earlier owing to its heavily weathered body, Khafre's causeway making its route around the sculpture as if it already existed, and the head being too small for the body, perhaps a sign that it had later been recarved into its current human form. If the Sphinx did have an incarnation then Anubis the jackal god of the necropolis would have been the strongest candidate, with some seeing the body as more canine than feline. Either way, the Sphinx remains the powerful guardian of the Giza Necropolis and its monumental pyramids as he has done for millennia before.
The Giza Pyramids need no introduction, the largest and most famous monuments of antiquity and the sole surviving of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World.
Situated on a desert plateau to the south west of Cairo (and indeed on the very edge of the city's modern urban sprawl) the pyramids of Giza form the heart of an extensive ancient necropolis with the monumental tombs of three of Egypt's earliest Old Kingdom pharaohs marked by the vast structures. Each of the pyramids is a colossal mass of near solid masonry, without adornment and with only a few passages within each leading to burial chambers long since emptied and robbed in antiquity.
The earliest is the Great Pyramid of Khufu (sometimes referred to by the Greek title 'Cheops', or by his full pharaonic name 'Khnum-Khufu'). It is also the largest; the structure is simply enormous and remained the World's tallest building until well into the Middle Ages.
The following pyramid was built by Khafre (also called 'Khephren') and is similarly vast (often appearing in photos of the whole group as larger due to its more central position) but is significantly smaller than Khufu's monument. The smallest of the three (at around less than half the size) was built by his successor Menkaure. Both his and Khufu's monuments have much smaller satellite pyramids at their base (some in more ruinous condition) to house the tombs of their queens.
Originally all the pyramids had a smooth outer covering of white stone but this was quarried away by later generations (much of which was used for some of Cairo's greatest Islamic monuments) leaving the rough inner blocks exposed. A small section remains at the apex of Khafre's pyramid (suggestive of a snow-capped mountain) to give a sense of the original finish and overall mass.
Today the site remains the most popular in Egypt and an astonishing testament to the skill and determination of it earliest builders.
USA's Masonic Roots:
- The Boston Tea Party was planned at the Green Dragon Tavern, also known as the "Freemasons' Arms," and "the Headquarters of the Revolution."
- George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States by Robert Livingston, Grand Master of New York's Masonic Lodge. The Bible on which he took his oath was from his own Masonic lodge.
Out of 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 9 were definitely Masons (as confirmed by Masonic membership records):
William Ellery, RI
Benjamin Franklin, PA
John Hancock, MA
Joseph Hewes, NC
William Hooper, NC
Robert Treat Paine, MA
Richard Stockton, NJ
George Walton, GA
William Whipple, NH
And 11 others were rumored to be Masons, but not yet found in Masonic records:
Elbridge Gerry, MA
Thomas Jefferson, VA
Richard Henry Lee, VA
Thomas McKean, DE
Robert Morris, PA
Thomas Nelson, Jr., VA
John Penn, NC
Benjamin Rush, PA
Roger Sherman, CT
James Smith, PA
John Witherspoon, NJ
Other Masonic figures of the American Revolution:
John Adams - Spoke favorably of Freemasonry -- never joined
Ethan Allen - Mason
Edmund Burke - Mason
John Claypoole - Mason
William Daws - Mason
Benjamin Franklin - Mason
John Hancock - Mason
John Paul Jones - Mason
Robert Livingston - Mason
James Madison - Some evidence of Masonic membership
Paul Revere - Mason
Colonel Benjamin Tupper - Mason
George Washington - Mason
Daniel Webster - Some evidence of Masonic connections
This flies in the face of idea that this country was founded as a "Christian Nation". Freemasons, Theists and Humanists formed the core of our ideals that are codified in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, not adherence to any "one true faith."
à l'origine, un bassin relié au Nil par un canal, destiné aux barques sacrées précédait le temple. De ce bassin, part une allée de sphinx qui rejoint l'entrée du temple. L'allée est bordée de chaque côté par une vingtaine de sphinx à tête de bélier (emblème d'Amon), qui tiennent entre leurs pattes une statuette de Ramsès II
Sphinx moth in Norfolk, VA, visiting 4 o'clocks. Look at that proboscis! Took the photos tonight with my point-&-shoot so the quality could be better....
A few more shots from Lacock Abbey. And, where else, but a Wiltshire country house, would you expect to see a sphinx?!!
as part of the graphic design section of the junior cert i had to do prep work--this is one of them.
978 B.C. - 959 B.C. (21st Dynasty). Black bronze encrusted with gold. Holding a tray with breads and poultry.
The first of six disks in the T2 (“The Continents”) series shows the head of the Great Sphinx of Giza, situated on the Giza Plateau adjacent to the Great Pyramids of Giza on the west bank of the Nile River in Egypt. The Continent is therefore Africa. It also shows the constellation of Orion, known to the Egyptians as Sah.
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Originally taken and posted for the GWUK group.
Guessed by LookaroundAnne
A sphinx crowning a grave stele.
In the hollow moulding traces of red and blue from painted floral decoration.
ca.560-550 BC, from the Themistoclean wall by the Sacred Gate of Kerameikos.
P 1050.
This is a truly monumental size structure at the entrance to the Luxor Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. The Sphinx towers over the long entry, covering many drive-up lanes and exterior structures leading to the pyramid casino. I am not good at estimating height, but this is maybe about 8 stories tall. Of course I am in front in the middle of the day, shooting up. I did very little on this image for the colors were just this way. I was surprised the image came out as well as it did, making a strong graphic presence for the "king" portrayed. Member "littlerottenrobin" posted a larger view of this Sphinx in July, here.
Here is a Net image of this Sphinx (not mine) that shows a larger view. Here is another view. Now that I see these, I think my image with a point and shoot camera did pretty well, ha ha! This man has a website with MANY images from this Luxor Casino and information about it. Now I am glad that I didn't take too many other photos of the place as his are fine for the memories.
These two sphinx statues were found inside the Ras el-Souda temple. They are carved in the traditional norms: a lion's body and a human head. Each wearing the Egyptian smooth nemes with a uraeus adorning the forehead. They were perhaps flanking the temple entrance, like many other temples of Isis and Serapis. It is noticeable that the temple was not destroyed in antiquity, but rather abandoned and gradually disappeared under the sand mounds.
Marble
Roman Period
Ras el-Souda, Alexandria
Graeco Roman Museum
Alexandria Egypt
The quality of these images isnt what i would of hoped for mainly due to the fact they were taken using my little Panasonic TZ5 and not my 60D, after visiting Petra with my Canon and constantly having it ripped from my hands by some over eager local to take a shot with it and charge me for the service i decided to leave my 60D back at the ship for security and welfares sake. Anyone thinking of visiting this area, dont be put off but be aware its a totaly different culture to ours and you WILL be pestered for camel rides, donkey rides, horse rides, cart rides, the privelage to have a poorly composed photo taken with your camera and then charged for it ! oh and one last thing watch where your walking there is ALOT of poop from the camel,donkey and horses.
After all that did i enjoy my trip? you bet i did it was amazing just not what i was expecting.