What is the Great Sphinx?
Q: What is the Great Sphinx?
A: The Great Sphinx is a stone sculpture of a creature with a human head and a lion's body located at Giza near Cairo in Egypt. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt.
Q: How big is the Great Sphinx?
A: The body of the Great Sphinx is 200 feet (60m) long and 65 feet (20m) tall, while its face measures 13 feet (4m) wide.
Q: Who built the Great Sphinx?
A: It is thought to have been built by ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom in the reign of Pharaoh Khafre (c. 2558–2532 BC).
Q: What purpose does the Great Sphinx serve?
A: The purpose of the Great Sphinx is not known for certain, but some archaeologists assume it was a memorial to a Pharaoh or that it functioned as some sort of talisman or guardian god, while other scholars believe it may have served as an astronomical observation device that marked the position of the rising sun on certain days.
Q: Why is the statue eroding today?
A: The statue is eroding today due to wind and humidity and smog from Cairo.
Q: What attempts are being made to restore it?
A: Present attempts at restoration are under control by Supreme Council of Antiquities' archaeologists who are working to drain away underground water.
Q: Is restoring it causing more harm than good?
A: Attempts to restore it have often caused more harm than good, so present attempts are being carefully monitored by experts in order to avoid further damage.
