THE SPHINX

THE SPHINX

About350 meters from Cheops's pyramid stands the Great Sphinx, known in Arabicas Abu el-Hol which means «father ofterror». Seventy three meters long, this colossal statue represents alion with a human head which some believe to be a likeness of Chep-hren standingguard over his tomb. Originally the Sphinxwas called Hor-em-Akhet, which means«Horus who is on the hori­zon», from which the Greeks de­rivedthe name Harmakis. Many times during thecourse of the cen­turies the body of the Sphinx has been completelycovered by the sand leaving only itsenigmatic fea­tures (5 metershigh) uncovered. Many times too men dug it out of the sand. The most renownedre­storation was that of Tutmose IV who was ordered in a dream by Harmakis touncover the Sphinx. The defacement of thismythical man-animal which is evidenttoday is due in part to erosion by the wind and in part to the cannon ofthe Mamelukes who used it for target practice.