The Great Sphinx of Gizaأبو الهول

The Sphinx is staggering in scale: about 73 metres long and 20 metres high, it is one of the largest monumental sculptures ever made. Most remarkably, it was carved directly from the living bedrock of the plateau — sculpted in place from a single great outcrop of limestone, rather than built from blocks. Combining the powerful body of a lion with a serene human face, it embodies the union of royal might and human intelligence, a perfect symbol of the pharaoh's majesty.

The Sphinx is most widely believed to have been built around 2500 BC for the pharaoh Khafre, possibly bearing his own likeness, as part of his pyramid complex. It faces due east, toward the rising sun, linking it to the sun god and the daily rebirth of light. Its famous missing nose was lost long ago, and it once wore a royal headdress and ceremonial beard, fragments of which survive. Exactly who it portrays remains one of Egyptology's enduring debates.

For long stretches of history the Sphinx lay buried up to its neck in desert sand, which ironically helped preserve it. Between its great paws stands the famous Dream Stele, set up by the later pharaoh Thutmose IV, which records how, as a young prince, he was promised the throne if he cleared the sand from the monument. Restored and excavated many times across the ages, the Sphinx endures as a timeless guardian and one of the world's most beloved ancient wonders.

• What it is: a colossal sculpture with a lion's body and human face.
• Arabic name: أبو الهول (the Great Sphinx).
• Size: about 73 m long and 20 m high.
• Carved: around 2500 BC, from the living bedrock.
• Likely built for: the pharaoh Khafre; faces the rising sun.
• Famous for: its missing nose and the Dream Stele between its paws.

Sources include standard Egyptology references. Some details remain debated among scholars.