History Art / TheSphinx

It was built in approximately 2500 BC, specifically during the time of the Old Kingdom during the rule of the Fourth Dynasty.

A colossal [[{{sculptures}} statue]] in the form of a lion with a human head wearing an ancient Egyptian headdress (and which may or may not have originally been a normal lion head), '''The Sphinx''' is one of the best-known manmade structures in the real world. It is so closely associated with {{UsefulNotes/Egypt}} that it serves as an instant visual clue of the setting, even more so than ThePyramids (since pyramids also exist in other parts of the world). The Sphinx is located next to the [[UsefulNotes/SevenWondersOfTheWorld Great Pyramid of Giza]], the largest one in the world.

It was built in approximately 2500 BC, in Egypt, specifically during the time of the Old Kingdom during the rule of the Fourth Dynasty.

It is famously [[TheNoseless without a nose]]. PopularHistory attributes this to UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte's cannons accidentally shooting it off during the brief French occupation of Egypt (1798--1801), but it is known to have been missing since long before that, and was most likely hacked off by a 14th-century Muslim religious fanatic (who was hanged for vandalism by the Sultan in response).

A colossal [[{{sculptures}} statue]] in the form of a lion with a human head wearing an ancient Egyptian headdress (and which may or may not have originally been a normal lion head), '''The Sphinx''' is one of the best-known manmade structures in the real world. It is so closely associated with {{UsefulNotes/Egypt}} that it serves as an instant visual clue of the setting, even more so than ThePyramids (since pyramids also exist in other parts of the world). The Sphinx is located next to the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest one in the world.

This Sphinx has nothing to do with [[RiddleOfTheSphinx the riddling one]] from the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek Myth]] of Oedipus. Rather, the Greeks called the statue (which is more than 4,000 years old) the Sphinx due to its resemblance to that monster. However, the Sphinx is considered "riddling" because, even today, we don't know who made it or why; even more puzzling, there are no surviving records from that time that explain these things. Naturally, that has led to lots of [[EpilepticTrees crazy theories]] about it.

It is famously [[TheNoseless without a nose]]. PopularHistory attributes this to UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte's cannons accidentally shooting it off during the brief French occupation of Egypt (1798-1801), but in reality the nose was most likely hacked off by a 14th-century Muslim religious fanatic (who was hanged for vandalism by the Sultan in response).

* DreamSequence: The ''The Dream Stela of Thutmosis IV'' placed between the sphinx's paws tells a story about the young Thutmosis IV resting in the sphinx's shadow (protected from the midday sun). He fell asleep and dreamt that the god Hor-em-akhet-Atum-Khepri was his father. The god promised the kingdoms of upper and lower Egypt to Thutmosis IV if he cleared away the sand that had been building up around the Sphinx. Thutmosis IV got the sand removed, the sphinx restored and the ''Dream Stela'' stone placed between the paws. This is generally regarded as propaganda put forth by Thutmosis IV to explain why he instead of his older brother became pharaoh. While no evidence exists one way or the other whether he usurped his brother, either way, it's logical that he would've wanted to nip any perception of illegitimacy in the bud by claiming to be divinely chosen.

* AncientEgypt: Was built in approximately 2500 BC, in Egypt, specifically during the time of the Old Kingdom during the rule of the Fourth Dynasty.

* AncientEgypt: Was built in approximately 2500 BC, in Egypt, specifically the time of the Old Kingdom during the rule of the Fourth Dynasty.

* MixAndMatchCritters: It's a sphinx. A lion's body and a human head.

* DungeonCrawling: Another popular feature in fiction is that it contains secret chambers to find, with [[PlotCoupon long lost secrets inside]]. Usually, this occurs via the heroes opening up a passage between its paws that has somehow gone unopened and unnoticed by four millennia worth of archeologists, sightseers, and locals.

** There are also theories (based on the head being disproportionately small compared to the lion's body) that it originally had a different face, before a later pharaoh had it re-carved into his own head.
* TheNoseless: Again, due to MonumentalDamage.

* MonumentalDamage: The statue is missing its nose, believed to have been an act of religious vandalism long ago. A popular myth says that it was blown off by cannon fire during Napoleon's Egypt campaign, but the damage predates that by centuries.

* AmbiguousGender: One of its many riddles: Is the head a man's or a woman's? Looks kind of manly, but it's missing the intricately coiffed beard that ancient Egyptian men sported. Bits of an alleged beard have been found, but given the lack of damage to the chin, it's likely that it was added on later and then fell off.

* DreamSequence: The ''The Dream Stela of Thutmosis IV'' placed between the sphinx's paws tells a story about the young Thutmosis IV resting in the sphinx's shadow (protected from the midday sun). He fell asleep and dreamt that the god Hor-em-akhet-Atum-Khepri was his father. The god promised the kingdoms of upper and lower Egypt to Thutmosis IV if he cleared away the sand that had been building up around the Sphinx. Thutmosis IV got the sand removed, the sphinx restored and the ''Dream Stela'' stone placed between the paws. This is generally regarded as propaganda put forth by Thutmosis IV to explain why he instead of his older brother became pharaoh. While no evidence exists one way or the other whether he usurped his brother, either way it's logical that he would've wanted to nip any perception of illegitimacy in the bud by claiming to be divinely chosen.
* DungeonCrawling: Another popular feature in fiction: that it contains secret chambers to find, with [[PlotCoupon long lost secrets inside]]. Usually this occurs via the heroes opening up a passage between its paws that has somehow gone unopened and unnoticed by four millennia worth of archeologists, sightseers and locals.

* LivingStatue: In some stories. Often shown speaking in cartoons (in [[RiddlingSphinx riddles]], of course.)
** In an issue of [[Creator/DCComics DC's]] Adventure Comics from the early '80s, the heroes of ''ComicBook/DialHForHero'' battled it--but it (conveniently) turned out to be an imitation and not the real statue, so they destroyed it.

* AncientAstronauts: Hey, if they made the pyramids...
** A 1971 ''Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk'' story had the Sphinx being left behind by aliens as a weapon.

A colossal statue in the form of a lion with a human head wearing an ancient Egyptian headdress (and which may or may not have originally been a normal lion head), '''The Sphinx''' is one of the best-known manmade structures in the real world. It is so closely associated with {{UsefulNotes/Egypt}} that it serves as an instant visual clue of the setting, even more so than ThePyramids (since pyramids also exist in other parts of the world). The Sphinx is located next to the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest one in the world.

** A 1971 ''Comicbook/IncredibleHulk'' story had the Sphinx being left behind by aliens as a weapon.

* DungeonCrawling: Another popular feature in fiction: that it contains secret chambers to find, with [[PlotCoupon long lost secrets inside]]. Usually this occurs via the heroes opening up a passage between it's paws that has somehow gone unopened and unnoticed by four millennia worth of archeologists, sightseers and locals.

* NiceHat: The Sphinx wears a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemes Nemes]], a headdress worn by the pharaohs.

* AndManGrewProud: The civilization that built it is long gone. [[AfterTheEnd It may still be around after ours is gone]], as well.
** Though it was almost swallowed by the desert (it was fully excavated in the early 20th century.)

* AmbiguousGender: One of its many riddles: Is the head a man's or a woman's? Looks kind of manly, but it's missing the [[BadassBeard intricately coiffed beard]] that ancient Egyptian men sported. Bits of an alleged beard have been found, but given the lack of damage to the chin, it's likely that it was added on later and then fell off.

A colossal statue in the form of a lion with a human head wearing an ancient Egyptian headdress (and which may or may not have originally been a normal lion head) '''The Sphinx''' is one of the best known man-made structures in the real world. It is so closely associated with {{UsefulNotes/Egypt}} that it serves as an instant visual clue of the setting, even more so than ThePyramids (which also exist in other parts of the world). The Sphinx is located next to the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest one in the world.

This Sphinx has nothing to do with [[RiddleOfTheSphinx the riddling one]] from the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek Myth]] of Oedipus. Rather, the Greeks called the statue (which is at least 4000 years old) the Sphinx due to its resemblance to that monster. However, the Sphinx is considered "riddling" because, even today, we don't know who made it or why; even more puzzling, there are no surviving records from that time that explain these things. Naturally, that has led to lots of [[EpilepticTrees crazy theories]] about it.

* DungeonCrawling: Another popular feature in fiction: that it contains secret chambers to find, with [[PlotCoupon long lost secrets inside]]. Usually this occurs via the heroes opening up a passage between it's paws that has somehow gone unopened and unnoticed by five millennia worth of archeologists.
* EntertaininglyWrong: Illustrations from the 16th and 17th century were drawn under the belief that the Sphinx's crown was ''hair''.

** In an issue of [[Creator/DCComics DC's]] Adventure Comics from the early 80's, the heroes of ComicBook/DialHForHero battled it- but it (conveniently) turned out to be an imitation and not the real statue, so they destroyed it.

** It has also suffered the kind of wear and tear you can expect from a stone monument sitting exposed to the elements for at least 5000 years, though much of it has been repaired as of the 20th century.

* NiceHat: The sphinx wears a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemes Nemes]], a headdress worn by the pharaohs.

* OlderThanDirt: And anciently older: built around 2500 BCE, or 1,700 years before the formation of the Greek alphabet.

This Sphinx has nothing to do with [[RiddleOfTheSphinx the riddling one]] from the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek Myth]] of Oedipus. Rather, the Greek called the statue (which is at least 4000 years old) Sphinx due to its resemblance to that monster. However, The Sphinx is considered "riddling" because, even today, we don't know who made it or why; most puzzling, there are no surviving records from that time that explain these things. Naturally, that has led to lots of [[EpilepticTrees crazy theories]] about it.

* DungeonCrawling: Another popular feature in fiction: that it contains secret chambers to find, with [[PlotCoupon long lost secrets inside]].

* AncientEgypt: Was built in approximately 2500 BC, in Egypt.