On the eastern base of the Giza plateau below the pyramid complex is another stunning symbol of ancient Egypt the great sphinx. There are many theories as to the origin of this magnificent monument but the truth remains hidden behind the stony stare of this desert’s most impressive lion. This strange sculpturethis mysterious mixture of man and beast, crouches in front of the pyramid complex of Khafra quietly keeping the secret of it’s true significance. In Ancient Egypt sphinx’s were traditionally guardians. They protected sacred places like entrances to temples and to the underworld. According to ancient Egyptian inscriptions the Sphinx served as the giver of life, the director of truth, and the eternal leader of the upper and lower world. Throughout the ages this amazing creature has been interpreted as the symbol of many things. For the Greeks it was thought to be a representation of occult wisdom, for the Medieval Arabs it was Abu el-Hol or Father of Terror. But in the beginning experts say it was nothing more than an outcrop of rock, the remains of an ancient quarry. Rather than removing it completely, an ancient Egyptian with vision thought they could do something with it. The result of that vision is the colossus that seems to effortlessly transform animal into man. The Sphinx has all the power of a lion but the head is not only that of a man but that of Pharaoh, wearing the nemes scarf in the style only a Pharaoh could wear. It symbolized the order imposed by divine rule over the natural world. The Great Sphinx like the pyramids it protects is massive. It rises to the height of a sixth story building.
