Mark Lehner, a renowned Egyptologist, discovered evidence that the temple of the Great Sphinx was built in line with the Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Khafre to line up with the summer equinox.
The reason the Great Sphinx was placed in front of the Great Pyramid is not crystal clear.
Why Was the Great Sphinx Placed in Front of the Great Pyramid? A line drawing showing a semi-buried Great Sphinx, 1885, via Rice University The Sphinx of Hatshepsut, via The Met, New York From Rameses the Great in Memphis to Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh, they served as portraits of their commissioners. This set the standard for future depictions of the sphinx. Built by Khufu’s son, Khafre, its face was carved in his likeness. The oldest known example is the Great Sphinx standing outside the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The sphinx has existed in Egyptian mythology since at least 2575 BCE, but potentially before that as well. The Great Sphinx in front of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, taken by Alex Azabache, via Unsplash As you can see in the picture of the Sphinx of Memphis, sphinxes in Egypt were depicted with false beards that indicated royal rank and divine status. The human face, surrounded by the Pharaonic headdress and a lion’s body. The Sphinx of Egypt Alabaster Sphinx among the remains of the enclosure of Ptah, Mit Rahina (Memphis), taken by Eliot Elisofon, 1959, via Smithsonian, Washington DCĪsk someone to draw a sphinx, and 9 out of 10 times, you will get the Egyptian version.
