The Great Sphinx has stood guard majestically over the Giza pyramid complex for nearly 5000 years. It was windblown, battered, and threatened on all sides by the shifting sands. And for much of the history, the colossal monument lay half buried in sand, attached and vandalised by human and natural forces. Its very survival has often been in doubt. It was not until 1920s that the true majesty of the great statue was revealed. The sand was cleared away and the structure cleaned. Only then, the work could begin to repair the damage caused by centuries of neglect.

From the earliest period of Egyptian art, it was customary to represent the pharaoh as a lion with human head to symbolise his power and strength. The concept of the pharaoh as both human and animal resulted in the creation of the Sphinx, a hybrid creature with a lion’s body and a human head. Hence, the fortunes of the Great Sphinx were for a long time interwoven with those of the Egyptian pharaohs. Since the pharaoh was believed to be both human and divine, the sphinx, too came to be seen as a superhuman.

Many sphinxes were built in ancient Egypt, but the Great Sphinx at Giza was the first. It dates from the reign of Khafre, son of Khufu in 26^th Century BC, and lies south of the Great Pyramid Complex.

It is 66 feet high and 240 feet long. It guards the causeway leading to the second pyramid.

The reasons for the construction of the Sphinx are not known. It is thought to be the work of an unknown sculptor who carved it out of a block of limestone left in a quarry after other stones had been used for the nearby pyramids. Since the unsightly knoll of limestone interrupted the view of the second pyramid, rather than remove the massive block, the sculptor transformed it into a monument to Khafre, whose face it depicts.

The origins of the Sphinx had been forgotten by the time of New Kingdom, about 570 BC. The priests believed it to be an incarnation of the sun god, Ra, and worshipped it accordingly. By this time, too, the sands had buried the body of the Sphinx. Only the head remained visible.

According to legend, Thutmose, young son of the pharaoh Amenhotep II, was hunting on the Giza plateau and took a rest in the shadow of the Sphinx. Thutmose dreamed that Ra spoke to him, complaining that the sand was making breathing difficult. It promised the prince that once the sand was cleared, it would make the prince inherit the kingdom. Thutmose did clear the sand and ascended the throne of Egypt.

To prevent further advancement of sand, Thutmose erected a series of mud-brick walls around the monument and ordered the story of his dream inscribed on a granite slab that still stands between the feet of the Sphinx.

The fortunes of the Sphinx began to improve. As the centre of the sun-god cult, it attracted visitors and pilgrims from all over the ancient world who left numerous offerings to the Sphinx. Some of these were clay tablets and bore prayers to the sun god. During the time of the Roman empire, many travellers visited the Sphinx.

Over the succeeding centuries the Sphinx again fell prey to the drifting desert sands that piled up against its flanks, burying all but its head. The wind eroded its exposed surfaces, and vandals carved pieces out of it.

The face of the Sphinx had been disfigured and the nose broken off in the late 14^th century by Saim-el-Dahr, a religious zealot who regarded the mere presence of the statue as pagan and idolatrous.

During the 19^th century, the Sphinx was again freed from the encroaching sand. The archaeologists began excavations and research into the history and significance of the Sphinx. In 1920, the Sphinx was cleared of sand, and cement supports were erected to hold up its head. Today the Sphinx is being restored to much of its former glory as guardian of the pyramids.