Next to the Pyramids at Giza is the Sphinx. This symbol of Egypt has the body of a lion and the head of a god, which was probably modeled after Chephren, the pharaoh who built the Sphinx. Although no one knows for sure why the statue has this unusual figuration, archaeologists speculate that the human head symbolizes intelligence and the lion body symbolizes power.
Like the pyramids, the 66-foot high Sphinx is over 4000 years old; however, it shows the passage of time more. Carved from one giant piece of limestone, the rock is heavily eroded and has been vandalized over the centuries. London's British Museum has a piece of the beard. The nose was destroyed before the 15th century, and it is now missing. Restoration projects of the Sphinx have been ongoing for years, with the latest one covering the ten years from 1988-1998.
These pictures of the Sphinx of Egypt at Giza were taken on a pre-cruise extension before a Red Sea cruise on the Silversea Silver Whisper.
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 Sphinx of Egypt at Giza |  Sphinx of Egypt at Giza |  Sphinx of Egypt at Giza |  Pyramid at Giza as Seen from the Sphinx |
 Sphinx of Egypt at Giza |  Sphinx of Egypt at Giza |  Interior of the Sphinx of Egypt at Giza |
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