Sphinx of Giza Monolith

The Egyptian Sphinx is the world's largest known monolith statue and the oldest known monumental sculpture. Construction is theorized to have taken place around 2500 BCE during the reign of pharaoh Khafra. The earliest known Sphinx sculpture was found at Gobekli Tepe dating to roughly 9,500 BCE nearly 7,000 years before the gigantic version located at the Giza plateau. A distinct correlation between the Giza pyramids, Sphinx and Nile river is believed by archaeoastronomists to align with the constellations Leo, Orion and the Milky Way.

What is in the Sphinx's paw?

One further mystery which has not been solved refers to the Sphinx's paw structure when GPR discovered a hollow area large enough to be a cache site. The area remains unexplored due to the water table and several theories have suggested invaluable items or a tomb might be hidden inside.

Although the exact purpose of the Sphinx has been debated for centuries, we know the giant monolith is attention grabbing. Perhaps this, like construction of the pyramids, is a distinctive way for the Egyptians to have their culture known for miles away. During travels in the vast desert, where everything might look like the same sand at one point, the Sphinx and pyramids spotted from a distance proved an oasis on the horizon is more than just a mirage.

Image Credits: 

Egypt, Sphinx, Giza by cg2

Egypt, Desert, Egyptian temple image by NadineDoerle