What is tall, big, and has a lion's body and a human's head? A Sphinx! A sphinx is an enormous statue that is carved out of a huge bulge of rock. Sphinxes are found near the pyramids of the kings. They are usually there to protect the tomb from tomb robbers.
The head is usually made to look like the king's head. The head represented intelligence. The head led on top of a lion's body. The lion's body was a sign of strength. Together they symbolized royal power.
The Sphinx at Giza was built by King Khafre. It was made from limestone. If you looked at a picture of the Sphinx, it might have looked rather small. But it is not! The body is 240 feet long, almost as long as a football field. The head is taller than a six-story building.
In ancient times, Egyptian astronomers must have chosen where to put the Sphinx because on the longest day of the year, if you stood next to the Sphinx and looked toward the pyramids of Khufu and Khafre, you would see the sun setting halfway between them.
The Sphinx has been around for thousands of years. It has been through droughts, floods, and sand storms. It is still standing and guarding the pyramids of King Khufu and Khafre. Let us hope that it still stands for another hundred years, so people will remember the ancient civilization of Egypt and their great accomplishments.
Stephanie: KNN