The sphinx

The sphinx is synonymous with mystery, until 1926 the great statue was buried up to its neck in sand, and visitors speculated about what might lie underneath, today the archeologists can assure us that the sphinx freed from sand and surrounded by ruins, dated from the reign of Khafre, the builder of the second pyramid, he will admit, however that more excavation is needed before we can be certain that the sands hide nothing more.

The story of the sphinx as it was revealed by excavations, especially those made between 1926 and 1936 is of great interest, there is no doubt that the statue forms part of the pyramid complex of Khafre, but it is a unique feature and no other king can boast of having such a monuments, therefore we may ask how it originated, and why Khafre indulged in this gigantic innovation, the answer lies in its situation.

The sphinx occupies a vast, rocky amphitheater at the eastern edge of the plateau, which was nothing more than a great quarry from which workmen cut stone to build the pyramids and private mastabas.

They took out the best, hardest stone, so that a mass of softer rock eventually jutted out from the quarry bed, this great mass, lying beside the valley temple, impeded the view of the second pyramid and its causeway and must have been unsightly.
The builders then faced the problem of whether to remove it entirely or transform it, perhaps its natural shape roughly resembled that of a crouching lion, in any case Khafre architect visualized it as amazing sphinx, and his skilful masons, translating the vision into reality.

About 350 meters from the pyramid of Cheops is the great sphinx, which means father of terror, 73 meters long, it is the colossal figure of a human-headed lion, with the features of the pharaoh Chephren, guarding his own tomb.

Between the frontal paws of the Sphinx is the dream stela of Thutmose IV of the 18th Dynasty, who received the order to free the sphinx in a dream from the god Harmakis and to remove the sand that covers it and he will be the king of Egypt. After he ascended the throne of Egypt, he erected this stela as to commemorate this event.

In ancient Egypt, Sphinxes were known as `Shesep-Ankh` which means the living image, as it refers mainly to the king in his living image which is a combination between the human intelligence, represented in the pharaoh`s head, and the power of the animal, represented in the lion`s body.
From this word (Shesep-Ankh) came the Greek word Sphinx which means strangler, according to the legend of Odibes, it is an appellation that was given by Greeks to a female sphinx, the sphinx Odibes, which had an evil power.

In Arabic, the name of the Sphinx is `Abou El Houl` meaning the father of fear. This name (Abou El Houl) is deprived from the Hieroglyphic name `Pr – Hwl` which means the place of god Houl.