The Great Sphinx of Giza

The Great Sphinx is 73 metres long, 20 metres high, and carved from a single mass of limestone bedrock. It faces due east. It was built during the Old Kingdom, almost certainly during the reign of Pharaoh Khafre around 2500 BC, though the exact dating and the identity of the face depicted have been argued about for centuries. What’s certain is that it’s the largest surviving monumental sculpture from the ancient world, and that it’s been partially buried, partially excavated, and misidentified various times across its history.

Most visitors see the Sphinx as part of the Giza Plateau visit combined with the pyramids, which makes practical sense, the sites are within walking distance. The Sphinx sits at the base of the causeway leading up to Khafre’s pyramid, which is the likeliest explanation for whose face it bears.

Visiting

The Giza Plateau entry fee (around 200 EGP for foreigners) covers access to the Sphinx enclosure. You can walk around the perimeter of the enclosure and view the Sphinx from the front and sides at relatively close range. The gap between the front paws (where a stele recounting a dream of Thutmose IV was placed in the 14th century BC) is accessible. Going inside is not.

The north and south viewing ramps give different perspectives. The view from the south gives the best sense of the Sphinx’s relationship to Khafre’s pyramid behind it. The best time for photographs is early morning when the low eastern light illuminates the face directly.

Context

The nose was not shot off by Napoleon’s soldiers, this is persistent myth. It was missing well before the Napoleonic expedition of 1798, as contemporary drawings confirm. The most plausible explanation is deliberate vandalism in the 14th or 15th century. The beard fragments are in the British Museum and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

The Sphinx has spent most of its existence buried to the neck in sand. The body was first cleared properly in the 1930s; restoration and stabilisation work has been ongoing since.

In Combination with the Pyramids

The Giza site makes sense as a full-day visit: the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Solar Boat Museum, Khafre’s Pyramid, the Sphinx, and if time allows, the Pyramid of Menkaure. Hire a licensed guide through the site’s official booking at the main visitor centre, the official guides cover material that independent wandering doesn’t. Expect to pay around $25-40 for a 2-hour guided tour.

The Sound and Light Show at the Sphinx runs nightly after dark and involves coloured lights projected on the monuments while a narration booms from speakers. It’s theatrical, obviously contrived, and some people find it worthwhile. The ticket costs around 150 EGP.

Getting There

The plateau is about 25km from central Cairo. Taxis and Uber are the easiest options; agree a price before departure. The Cairo Metro runs to the Giza stop, from which you can take a microbus to the plateau entrance (short ride, very cheap). The Giza site opens at 8am; plan to arrive then to beat both the heat and the tour groups.