HeritagePhoto Wikimedia CommonsGreat Sphinx
Egypt
At over 240 feet long and 66 feet high, it’s a wonder that this mysterious sculpture was carved from a solid limestone block
Contents
10 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation
Welcome, esteemed travelers and curious minds, to one of the most profoundly enigmatic and fiercely debated archaeological landscapes on the surface of our planet. As you stand here upon the elevated bedrock of the Giza Plateau,…
Listen in the app2The Descent along Khafre's Causeway
Let us begin our descent by tracing the path of the monumental causeway traditionally attributed to the pharaoh Khafre. As you walk down this sloping corridor from the upper plateau toward the valley, feel the solid, ancient…
Listen in the app3The Valley Temple of Khafre
Leaving the blazing sunlight of the causeway, we now enter the shadowed, imposing interior of the Valley Temple of Khafre. Pause for a moment to let your eyes adjust to the dimness, and place your hand against the colossal,…
Listen in the app4The Sphinx Temple Courtyard
Stepping out from the shadowed confines of the Valley Temple, we find ourselves standing in the expansive, sun-drenched courtyard of the Sphinx Temple. Positioned directly in front of the Great Sphinx, this extraordinary…
Listen in the app5The Great Paws and the Dream Stele
We now step into the very shadow of the guardian, standing intimately close to the colossal front paws of the Great Sphinx. From this vantage point, the sheer, overwhelming verticality of the twenty-meter-high statue becomes…
Listen in the app6The Southern Enclosure Wall and Geological Debates
Let us walk along the southern flank of the Sphinx, moving through the deep, excavated trench that separates the monumental statue from the bedrock walls of the plateau. It is here, staring at the sheer vertical faces of the…
Listen in the app7The Sphinx's Head and the Face of the Pharaoh
We now direct our gaze upward, to the monumental human head that commands the Giza plateau. Towering high above the lion's body, the face of the Sphinx is carved from a significantly harder and superior stratum of limestone,…
Listen in the app8The Northern Enclosure and the Quarry Process
As we walk around to the northern side of the monument, the vastness of the U-shaped quarry trench fully reveals itself. To truly grasp the magnitude of the Great Sphinx, one must stop looking solely at the statue and begin to…
Listen in the app9The Eastern Vista and the Eternal Guardian
For our final perspective, let us move toward the eastern exit of the enclosure, turning to face the same direction as the Great Sphinx itself. Stand here and align your vision with the eternal gaze of the monument. …
Listen in the app10Closing
As our exploration of this monumental site draws to a close, take one last, sweeping look across the vast expanse of the Giza Plateau. The journey we have taken today has guided us through the physical trenches of the ancient…
Listen in the app
What is Great Sphinx?
Great Sphinx is a place in Egypt with 10 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Egypt |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 10 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 29.9753, 31.1376 |
| Last updated |
