Great Sphinx of Giza
The Great Sphinx of Giza is a large sculpture on the west bank of the Nile River, within the confines of the Giza pyramid field. It is generally thought to be a portrait of the Pharaoh Khafre (also known by the hellenised version of his name, Chephren), which would place its construction in the Fourth Dynasty (2723 BCE–2563 BCE).
In recent years some researchers have suggested that the pattern of water erosion allegedly evident on the body of the Sphinx suggests that it was actually built around 10500 BC (which is the last time any significant volume of rain fell in Egypt), and appropriated or remodeled by Khafre, but this view is not accepted by the mainstream of archaeology.
The Great Sphinx is 157 feet (48 meters) long, 20 feet wide (6 m), and has a height of 66 feet (20 m). Its Arabic name, Abu al-Hol, translates as "Father of Terror".
See also
