My structure is the Sphinx. The Sphinx was built from 2558 BCE
to 2532 BCE. It was built during the reign of Pharaoh Khafra. To this date
the Sphinx is known as the oldest known monumental structure. It is
located in Giza, Egypt.
The Sphinx’s head in front of one pyramid.
The Sphinx from the front.
The Sphinx is unique in many different ways. The Sphinx is a large cat
with a human-female face. It was sculpted of soft sandstone. This made the Sphinx
a much debated structure. It is such a debated structure because it is built out of
sandstone, this makes it debated about how it stands with a soft coating and
inside. Many people say it would not still be there if it weren't for it being buried
under the sand for so many years. The Sphinx, even though being built of
sandstone, has survived hundreds of rainfalls and still stands. The Sphinx has gone
through many difficult times. In 1378 ADE The Sphinx had its nose destroyed by
Sa'im al-Dahr because he was outraged that although they were praying it did not
bring the Egyptians increased harvest. The Sphinx now stands with a femalehuman face with no nose. The body is the same as it was when it was built. The
only think that has changed is the face that it has decreased in size. The Sphinx
used to be 241 feet long, 20 feet wide and 66 feet high. Now it stands 200 feet
long, 65 feet tall and 18 feet wide. The other thing that has changed since it was
built was the sight. It used to just be the Sphinx. Since it was built a temple has
been built in front of it. The sphinx is debated as a live load and a dead load. This is
because the chamber inside the structure would put extra pressure on the
structure which would make it a live load, but without the chamber it is a dead
load. The Sphinx is a combination because it is a solid structure with a possible
frame for the chamber of passages. A chamber would be a frame structure.
The structure is supposed to be a religious structure and it is supposed to
guard the three pyramids. It guards the 3 pyramids because it stands in front of them, it
stand a very short distance away and it is supposed to stop anyone bad from coming
through. There is also a riddle. It has been told that if you answer the riddle correctly
you can pass. Although if you can not answer the question correctly you can not pass.
The Sphinx was built so that the chambers can hold a religious view and also be a very
meaningful structure. Not only because the Sphinx holds great meaning but because the
Sphinx throughout history has been important to many different cultures not just the
Egyptians. The Sphinx was not built to stand for so long, but being covered in sand for so
many years allowed it to still be standing today.
The Sphinx buried in the sand.
The Sphinx from a side view.
The body and head were cut from a single limestone rock.
The Ancient Egyptians thought that the Sphinx was a powerful God.
Legend would have us believe that either the French used the Sphinx for target
practice, with canons, during the Napoleonic wars, or perhaps the British troops
during World War 1.
The Sphinx is wearing the classic headdress of a Pharaoh and has the beard of a
god. The beard fell off, and was removed from the site.
Between the paws there is a large slab of red granite.
The red granite contained a story that was written on it and through exposure to
the air it could no longer be read.
Clay, Jenny Strauss. ‘’Sphinx’’ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
January 27, 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphinx. January 20, 2012.
Berg, Christopher. ‘’The Great Sphinx and The Glimmering Light Of History’’ Amazeing Art.
Christopher Berg. February 2, 2012. http://www.amazeingart.com/sevenwonders/sphinx.html. January 24, 2012
Gill, N.S. ‘’Sphinx’’ About, Ancient History. The New York Times Company. January 13, 2012.
http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/egypt/p/sphinx.htm. January 25, 2012.
‘’The Great Sphinx’’ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
January 28, 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Sphinx. January 21, 2012.