Research Paper On The Sphinx Of Giza

There are many statues of sphinxes in the Egyptian empire but none compare to The Great Sphinx of Egypt. This massive statue which is located in Giza is the biggest statue of a sphinx in the egyptian culture. The Egyptians built this monolithic statue in order to guard Khafre’s Pyramid. The sphinx was built around 2500 B.C. and was commissioned by King Khafre.

This is a model of the sphinx. The sphinx is half man or woman and half lion. The sphinx had many jobs in the Egyptian culture. This differs from the Greek culture because in it the sphinx is always a female and only has one job. It is thought that the sphinxes were originally from the Egyptians and then other cultures adopted the sphinx and made it their own. The Great Sphinx of Egypt used to have a beard and a nose but due to erosion the Sphinx lost them. The sphinx is made of limestone this rock visually looks stunning however it does not last long this is part of the reason why the Sphinx lost its nose and beard.

Why the great sphinx of giza was built is ambiguous.

Some believe the great sphinx was built in order to guard the Pyramid of Khafre from intruders. Others say that the statue was built in order to worship it. They say this because near the location of the sphinx there are a few temples built to it in the days of the famous Egyptian King Tutankhamun. The Sphinx was buried in sand many times. In a popular legend the son of Amenhotep the Second, Prince Tuthmosis had a vision which was from the buried Sphinx. In the dream the Sphinx asked Prince Tuthmosis to uncover it from its sandy grave. After clearing the sand Tuthmosis refurbished the sphinx to its former glory, because Thutmose saved the sphinx it rewarded Thutmose by making him King of

Egypt.

Who commissioned the Sphinx is a very controversial topic. The most popular theory is that King Khafre built it. Another theory says that Khafre’s older brother King Djedefre built the sphinx because the Sphinx resembles King Djedefre more than his brother. However we will most likely never know who built it, because the Sphinx has under gone many restorations throughout history.

In conclusion, the Sphinx is a very controversial statue as most Egyptian relics are. Although the Sphinx could be made to guard the mighty King Khafre’s Pyramid it could also be a statue for worship. We also do not know weather Khafre commissioned the building of the Pyramid or if his brother did. All we have right now are the educated guesses that we can make using the clues from the past.