The Great Sphinx of Giza on the Giza Plateau, Egypt
Giza Plateau • Fourth Dynasty • Old Kingdom

Great Sphinx of Giza (Abu al-Hol)

The Great Sphinx is one of the world’s largest monolithic sculptures—an iconic fusion of a lion’s body and a royal human head, carved directly from Giza’s limestone bedrock.[2] Official Egyptian heritage summaries link its carving to the reign of Khafre and the nearby valley temple/causeway in his pyramid complex.[3]

~73 m long • ~20 m high [2] Faces east toward the sunrise [3] Dream Stela of Thutmose IV [3]
Read the guide Visiting notes Sources

Simplified layout & key elements

Not to scale
Dream Stela Head & nemes Lion body Front paws
At a glance
  • Monolith carved from bedrock limestone.[2]
  • East-facing orientation links it to solar symbolism in later periods.[3]
  • Context beside Khafre’s valley temple/causeway area.[3]
  • Cult revival in the New Kingdom; Dream Stela set by Thutmose IV.[3]
Fast traveler notes
  • Visit early morning for softer light and fewer crowds.
  • Combine with the Great Pyramid and Khafre’s pyramid in one route.
  • Wind-blown sand can be intense—bring sunglasses and water.
  • For ticketing rules and opening hours, check official updates before you go.[4]

Quick facts

A fast orientation for travelers and history‑lovers (with sources).

Who carved it?

Official summaries by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities note that the evidence points to carving during the reign of Khafre, with the Sphinx and the Sphinx Temple located beside his valley temple and causeway.[3] Some academic debate remains about the exact identity of the face and sequence of works, but the Khafre association is a leading interpretation.[9]

How big is it?

Approximately 73 m long and about 20 m high, carved from limestone bedrock as a single monumental sculpture.[2]

Names & meaning

In the New Kingdom it was understood as a manifestation of the sun god and called Horemakhet (“Horus in the Horizon”).[3] The modern Arabic name أبو الهول (Abu al‑Hol) is widely used today.

Dream Stela

Thutmose IV placed the famous Dream Stela between the Sphinx’s front paws, recording a story about the monument and royal legitimacy.[3]

The missing nose

The famous “Napoleon cannon” story is widely rejected; drawings show the nose missing before 1798, and medieval accounts mention intentional damage—though historians still debate details.[8]

Conservation

The Sphinx has undergone multiple modern conservation campaigns. Reports discuss salt damage, water, and earlier cement mortars as risks, and document major repair programs from the 20th century onward.[6][7]

Where it sits in Egypt’s World Heritage

The Great Sphinx forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage property “Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur”.[1]

See sources

Encyclopedic guide

Deep context in an easy traveler‑friendly structure—history, archaeology, meaning, geology, conservation, and how to visit.

Overview

The Great Sphinx sits in a limestone enclosure at the edge of the Giza Plateau, in sight of the pyramids. While it is often photographed as a standalone icon, it is best understood as part of a larger architectural landscape that includes the pyramids, temples, causeways, and visitor routes across Giza.[4]

Key things to notice on-site
  • Scale: it is about 73 m long—bigger than most people expect in person.[2]
  • Head vs body: the head is proportionally smaller than the body; scholars discuss how carving stages and rock quality shaped the final form.[9]
  • Setting: look for the nearby temples and the view lines toward Khafre’s pyramid complex.[3]
  • Between the paws: the Dream Stela of Thutmose IV is a key New Kingdom marker of later worship and restoration.[3]
Quick orientation

Where: Giza (west of the Nile, near Cairo).

Faces: east (sunrise).[3]

Material: limestone bedrock, carved as a monolith.[2]

World Heritage: part of UNESCO property 86 (Giza to Dahshur).[1]

Suggested route on the Giza Plateau

Start at the Great Pyramid (Khufu) → move to Khafre’s pyramid → end at the Sphinx viewpoint area for classic photos and the Dream Stela, then exit via the main gates. Pair this with our pages on the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur for broader Old Kingdom context.

Dating & attribution

The Sphinx is commonly dated to Egypt’s Old Kingdom, most often the Fourth Dynasty. The leading argument links its carving to King Khafre because of the monument’s placement beside Khafre’s valley temple and the lower causeway, and similarities noted between the Sphinx’s facial features and Khafre’s statuary.[3]

Evidence often cited
  • Topographic logic: Sphinx + Sphinx Temple sit next to Khafre’s valley temple/causeway zone.[3]
  • Archaeological sequencing: MoTA notes the valley temple appears finished before work began on the Sphinx/Sphinx Temple area.[3]
  • Art-historical comparisons: similarity between facial features and Khafre’s statues is frequently discussed.[3]
Why debate still exists
  • Limited inscriptions from the Old Kingdom directly naming the Sphinx.
  • Recarving & repair across millennia complicate surface “clues”.[6]
  • Multiple hypotheses exist on carving stages and enclosure quarrying; modern syntheses (e.g., Lehner) discuss the competing models.[9]
Traveler takeaway

On the ground, the Sphinx is best read as part of the Giza “pyramid landscape” rather than a separate site. If you’re short on time, you can understand most of the mainstream scholarly view simply by standing at the Sphinx viewpoint and tracing the nearby causeways/temples with your eyes.[4]

Meaning, names & later worship

In ancient Egypt, sphinxes typically combine the king’s head with a lion’s body to express royal power. Later, the Great Sphinx became closely tied to solar religion and was called Horemakhet (“Horus in the Horizon”).[3]

Solar horizon symbolism

The east-facing pose is one reason the Sphinx fit naturally into later solar interpretations, especially in the New Kingdom when devotion revived around the monument.[3]

Dream Stela story

Thutmose IV placed the Dream Stela between the paws, recording a story about the Sphinx promising kingship in exchange for clearing away sand—evidence that the monument was periodically buried and re‑exposed by desert winds.[3]

Names through time

“Horemakhet” is a New Kingdom title; modern Arabic uses “أبو الهول”. Sources also record other names across Greek, Coptic, and medieval Arabic traditions, reflecting the monument’s long cultural life.[8]

Photographer tip

For the classic composition, position yourself to include Khafre’s pyramid rising behind the Sphinx’s head—this also visually reinforces the Khafre connection discussed by official sources.[3]

Geology & weathering

The Sphinx is carved from limestone bedrock; different layers weather at different rates. Modern technical discussions highlight salt crystallization and moisture as major drivers of surface loss, especially when incompatible mortars or water pathways introduce salts into the stone.[7]

Why erosion looks uneven
  • Layering: harder and softer limestone beds respond differently to wind/sand and moisture.
  • Salt action: salts can crystallize in pores and fracture stone from within.[7]
  • Human interventions: earlier cement repairs can trap moisture or introduce salts if not carefully matched to limestone behavior.[7]
What you can spot as a visitor
  • Texture changes across the body and enclosure walls.
  • Repair blocks around the base from different restoration phases.
  • Fresh wind patterns: sand can move quickly—one reason the Sphinx was repeatedly cleared in history.[3]

Conservation & restorations

The Sphinx has been repaired many times from pharaonic periods through modern engineering campaigns. In the late 20th century, conservation became urgent after visible deterioration; reports note that a limestone piece fell from the southern shoulder in 1988, prompting further action and debate about best practice materials.[6]

Modern risks often discussed
  • Salt & moisture migration inside the limestone.[7]
  • Incompatible repair mortars (hard cement vs softer limestone).[7]
  • Urban pressures: vibration, pollution, visitor load (managed by authorities).
A famous 1988 incident

Conservation notes describe how a chunk of limestone fell from the southern shoulder in February 1988, emphasizing how long‑term weaknesses can become sudden failures if left untreated.[6]

How to “read” repairs on-site
  • Look for different stone block textures at the base.
  • Notice areas with more regular blockwork vs natural bedrock carving.
  • Remember that “restoration” styles changed across decades as conservation science improved.[7]

Visiting notes

The Sphinx is visited as part of the Giza Plateau. Rules can change, so verify entry hours and ticket categories via official channels when planning.[4]

Best times
  • Early morning: cooler, softer light, fewer crowds.
  • Late afternoon: warmer tones, but can be busier.
  • Wind days: consider a scarf/sunglasses for sand.
Do & don’t
  • Do use a licensed guide if you want deeper context in one visit.
  • Do keep hydrated; Giza is exposed with limited shade.
  • Don’t climb barriers or attempt restricted areas (strict rules).
  • Don’t rely on “myths” as history—use the sources below.
Tickets & planning

If you’re scheduling a full day, budget time for the pyramids, viewpoints, and the Sphinx area. For official information and broader Giza context, see the Ministry’s Giza Plateau pages.[4]

FAQ

Quick answers to the most common questions travelers ask about the Great Sphinx.

Many Egyptologists connect the Sphinx to the Fourth Dynasty and interpret the face as King Khafre, based on architectural context and comparative analysis; some debate remains, but official summaries emphasize the Khafre link.[3]
Roughly 73 meters long and around 20 meters high, carved from limestone bedrock as a single monumental sculpture.[2]
A New Kingdom stela set between the paws by Thutmose IV, recording a story about the Sphinx and kingship—also implying the monument was often covered by sand and later cleared.[3]
The exact cause is uncertain. The popular story that Napoleon’s troops destroyed it is widely rejected because the nose is shown missing in earlier drawings; medieval accounts mention deliberate damage, but historians debate specifics.[8]
Yes. The Sphinx sits next to the so‑called Sphinx Temple and beside Khafre’s valley temple/causeway zone, which is why many interpretations treat it as integrated with Khafre’s pyramid complex.[3]
Typically, visitors view the Sphinx from designated paths and viewpoints; internal access is not a standard tourist activity. Check official guidance for current access rules and ticketing categories for the Giza Plateau.[4]

Sources & references

Numbered references used for key claims on this page.

Online / institutional references

  1. UNESCO World Heritage Centre — “Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur” (List 86).
    https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/86/ (Accessed 2026-02-14).
  2. Encyclopaedia Britannica — “Great Sphinx of Giza”.
    https://www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Sphinx (Accessed 2026-02-14).
  3. Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities (MoTA) — “The Great Sphinx” (Discover Egypt’s Monuments).
    https://egymonuments.gov.eg/en/monuments/the-great-sphinx/ (Accessed 2026-02-14).
  4. MoTA — “Giza Plateau” (site overview for pyramids + Sphinx).
    https://egymonuments.gov.eg/en/archaeological-sites/giza-plateau/ (Accessed 2026-02-14).
  5. AERA (Ancient Egypt Research Associates) — Background on Giza Plateau research (settlement/landscape context).
    https://aeraweb.org/ (Accessed 2026-02-14).
  6. Hawass, Zahi — “History of the Conservation of the Sphinx”.
    https://www.guardians.net/hawass/sphinx2.htm (Accessed 2026-02-14).
  7. Wahby, W.S. — “Restoring and Preserving Egypt's Sphinx” (technical paper, PDF).
    https://www.canadamasonrydesigncentre.com/wp-content/uploads/10th_symposium/7a-3.pdf (Accessed 2026-02-14).
  8. Smithsonian Journeys — “What happened to the Sphinx’s nose?” (photo essay referencing earlier drawings and medieval accounts).
    https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/blogs/blog/2025/09/15/photo-what-happened-to-the-sphinxs-nose/ (Accessed 2026-02-14).

Books / academic references

  1. Lehner, Mark (2008). The Complete Pyramids. Thames & Hudson. (Readable synthesis of Giza monuments, including Sphinx context and competing interpretations.)
Citation note

References support major claims (dimensions, dating, later worship, conservation history). For deeper study, start with Lehner’s synthesis and the MoTA pages, then consult technical conservation papers.