The Great Sphinx of Giza (Arabic: أبو الهول "The Father of Fear") is a half-human, half-lion Sphinx statue in Egypt on the Giza Plateau at the west bank of the Nile River, near modern-day Cairo. The largest monolith statue in the world, it stands 73.5 metres (241 feet) long, 6 m (20 ft) wide, and 20 m (65 ft) high. Commonly believed to have been built by antient egyptian in the 3rd millennium BC, it is the earliest known mo
numental sculpture.Mythology
The Great Sphinx was believed to stand as a guardian of the Giza Plateau, where it faces the rising sun. It was the focus of solar worship in the Old kingdom, centered in the adjoining temples built around the time of its probable construction. Its animal form, the lion, has long been a symbol associated with the sun in ancient nears eastern civilizations. Images depicting the Egyptian king in the form of a lion smiting his enemies appear as far back as the Early Dynasty period of Egypt. During the New Kingdom, the Sphinx became more specifically associated with the god Hor-em-akhet ( Greek Harmachis) or Horus at the Horizon, which represented the Pharoah in his role as the Shesep ankh of Atum (living image of Atum). A temple was built to the northeast of the Sphinx by King Amenhotep II, nearly a thousand years after its construction, dedicated to the cult of Horemakhet.
The Great Sphinx was believed to stand as a guardian of the Giza Plateau, where it faces the rising sun. It was the focus of solar worship in the Old kingdom, centered in the adjoining temples built around the time of its probable construction. Its animal form, the lion, has long been a symbol associated with the sun in ancient nears eastern civilizations. Images depicting the Egyptian king in the form of a lion smiting his enemies appear as far back as the Early Dynasty period of Egypt. During the New Kingdom, the Sphinx became more specifically associated with the god Hor-em-akhet ( Greek Harmachis) or Horus at the Horizon, which represented the Pharoah in his role as the Shesep ankh of Atum (living image of Atum). A temple was built to the northeast of the Sphinx by King Amenhotep II, nearly a thousand years after its construction, dedicated to the cult of Horemakhet.
Reference from http://www.en.wikipedia.org
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