History

• The word "sphinx" is taken from the Greek word "sphingo," meaning "to strangle." In Greek mythology, the Sphinx had a woman's head and breasts, a lion's body and eagle's wings. She was sent by the gods to wreak vengeance on Thebes, devouring all the city's young men who were unable to answer her riddles. Sphinxes became popular in sculpture, particularly on the tombs of men who died young.
  
  

Significance

• Most Egyptian representations have a man's head and a lion's body, though sphinxes associated with Amun were depicted with a ram's head. The Great Sphinx was constructed from limestone and measures 187 feet long and 66 feet tall from paws to crown.
  
  

Fun Fact

• Napoleon's forces rediscovered the Great Sphinx in 1798, buried in sand up to its neck. The Genovese merchant Caviglia made the first excavation attempts around 1815, but it took Emile Baraize's efforts from 1925 to 1936 to fully complete the excavation. Conservators today engage in perpetual preservation efforts to prevent the limestone's disintegration from the area's wind, humidity and smog.