Why is the Great Sphinx of Giza a mystery?

Two of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Sphinx of Giza are when it was built and by whom. Scholarly consensus is that it was constructed some 4,500 years ago, during the Old Kingdom while the great pyramids were being built.



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The Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. Facing directly from west to east, it stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt. The face of the Sphinx appears to represent the pharaoh Khafre.



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The specially designated space around the Great Sphinx in Giza makes it impossible to get close to the monument and touch it, but you can still get close enough to have a good look at the Egyptian Sphinx's nose, and take an effective photo.

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There was a single sphinx in Greek mythology, a unique demon of destruction and bad luck. Apollodorus describes the sphinx as having a woman's face, the body and tail of a lion and the wings of a bird.

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NARRATOR: According to this theory a fanatical dervish named Muhammad Saim al-Dahr was responsible. He is said to have hired some men to smash off the Sphinx's nose as she was still worshipped as a false god. To this day, the Arabs refer to the Sphinx as Abul Hol or father of terror.

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The Sphinx's Riddles Once you answer the questions, you will be told to find the image of the answer you chose on one of the nearby pillars. Picking an incorrect image and then returning to the Sphinx will result in an instant death.

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