Great Sphinx of Giza, Cairo (must see)

The Great Sphinx of Giza, often simply called the Sphinx, is a massive statue made of limestone. It depicts a reclining creature known as a sphinx, which has the body of a lion and the head of a human. This iconic statue is located on the Giza Plateau, on the western side of the Nile River in Giza. The Sphinx faces directly from the west to the east and is widely believed to represent the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Khafre.

Originally carved from the natural rock bed, the Sphinx's original shape has been preserved through the addition of layers of stone blocks. It holds the distinction of being the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt and is generally thought to have been designed, crafted, and erected during the rule of Pharaoh Khafre, approximately between 2558 and 2532 BC in the Old Kingdom era.

Unfortunately, the exact name given to this statue by its creators remains a mystery. There are no inscriptions from the Old Kingdom period that mention the Great Sphinx, nor do we have any descriptions of its construction or intended purpose from that time. However, during the New Kingdom period, the Sphinx took on a new identity as the solar deity Hor-em-akhet, which translates to "Horus of the Horizon" in English. Pharaoh Thutmose IV, who ruled between 1401 and 1391 or 1397 and 1388 BC, explicitly referred to the Sphinx as such in his Dream Stele, a rectangular granite monument standing 3.6 meters (12 feet) tall and weighing 15 tons. This inscription, located between the front paws of the Sphinx, was a common practice among New Kingdom rulers to legitimize their divine right to rule.