Egypt’s Monuments Part VIII: The Pyramids Part V; The Man-Headed, Lion-Bodied Statue, “The Father Of Terror”

The Great Sphinx is a magnificent, massive statue whose builder and meaning are often questioned. Although most modern Egyptologists consign the statue to King Khafre of the Fourth Dynasty, who also built the second pyramid standing in Giza aside the Khufu’s Horizon, it is still debated. There were three sons of Khufu, and even though Khafre was the last in line to rule he was the only one to follow in Khufu’s foot-steps. The Other two monarchs between Khufu and Khafre abandoned building, and residing, in Giza and went to Abu Rawish to build their tombs. But both sons had early deaths and the second son, Djedefre, is the only mentioned as having reign in Egypt. The first son died before Khufu’s reign was up. After Djedefre’s death his half brother took over reign in Egypt; King Khafre. In this post I will first focus on Khafre’s pyramid which stands beside the Great Pyramid, and then I will proceed to explain the Great Sphinx’s existence in Egypt; who made it and its meaning. But doing so will be difficult because there are many mysteries behind the Great Sphinx and not a single Egyptologist can give a clear-cut answer to who built it and what its purpose is. As I said, Khafre was the next ruler of Egypt to follow in Khufu’s shoes and build a gigantic pyramid beside Khufu’s Horizon. But even though the middle pyramid of Giza looks as big as the Great Pyramid it is in fact smaller: “From a distance, the middle pyramid at Giza seems to be the highest, although it was originally some three meters lower than Khufu’s pyramid. It stands on a more elevated part of the necropolis, the angle of its walls is somewhat steeper, and its apex is in better condition, which makes it look bigger.” (Miroslav Verner, The Pyramids: Their Archaeology and History. New York: Grove Press, 1997, p. 223). Though Khafre succeeded to build a major pyramid next to his father’s there are plenty of differences between the two pyramids, and you can never judge a book by its cover.

Even though the outer structure of the middle pyramid at Giza is sturdy, and has survived the harshness of the desert better then that of the Great Pyramid. Its inner structure and core are not as precisely built as that of the Great Pyramid. The middle pyramid of Giza is called “Khafre is Great” and its builder’s full name is Khafkhufu, but his name was changed to Khafre upon receiving the throne. Not only is Khafre recognized for the equally enormous pyramid standing next to the Great Pyramid, he also built many other, smaller, structures near and surrounding both pyramids. One of these is the Valley Temple, and the other is possibly the Great Sphinx. But working on so many structures throughout his lifetime came back to bite him. Unlike Snefru, Khafre knew that his lifespan might not be but so long, especially with his brother’s early deaths, and so he was rushed to do some of his projects more than others. One of these “rushed” projects was his tomb, so that it would be ready for his death. Even though the outer structure has withstood erosion, the inner structure is sloppier done than Khufu’s. “The core of Khafre’s pyramid was less carefully constructed than that of Khufu’s Great Pyramid: the layers do not always run exactly horizontally, the joints are sometimes very wide, and mortar is often lacking between blocks.” (Miroslav Verner, The Pyramids, p. 225). Like Khufu he used pink granite as a material in the inner structure, but unlike Khufu he constructed the lower chambers in it and this provided a very unstable foundation. Which, being in a place where earthquake tremors happen often was not the brightest thing to do. Miroslav Verner tells how a team of Italian experts recently found evidence that tremors had quite an effect on the pyramid’s infrastructure: “They discovered that the corner edges of the remaining portions of the casing are not completely straight; the individual blocks are slightly turned in various directions. A very simple explanation for this peculiarity was confirmed by a computer simulation and suggests that the cause was seismic activity – not uncommon in either modern or ancient Egypt.” (Miroslav Verner, The Pyramids, p. 226). Also like Khufu, Khafre used pink granite in the burial chamber and had his sarcophagus made entirely out of this material, his remains were never found as well. “Near the west wall stands the pink granite sarcophagus, sunk slightly into the floor; originally, it had a sliding top. A small shaft in the burial chamber’s floor originally contained the royal canopic vessel. However, no safely identified remains of Khafre’s mummy or his tomb furnishings were found.” (Miroslav Verner, The Pyramids, p. 228).

Khafre not only worked on his pyramid, and possibly the Great Sphinx, but also built smaller structures surrounding both. Like with all kings and pharaohs of the past, a pyramid was not the only thing built and in it’s complex there were usually mortuary temples, plus other small temples and buildings surrounding the main it. Khafre built a mortuary temple, temples surrounding the Sphinx, and the valley temple. The main material used in all of Khafre’s projects was pink granite, as well as lime-stone, and he tended to use pink granite more than his predecessors. An interesting, and very unique, detail concerning the mortuary temple and the valley temple is that there was a tunnel underground that connected them. Only Khafre and King Amenemhet III have these tunnels within their pyramid complexes. These tunnels were lined with limestone blocks and would be like cement underground tunnels of today. “Particularly noteworthy was the discovery of ‘tunnels’ dug through the rock subsoil under the causeways; these were paved with limestone blocks and led to the two entrances to the valley temple. The tunnels have a slightly convex profile resembling that of a boat. A definitive interpretation of all these structures will probably not be available until the archaeological investigation is completed; however, they appear to be the remains of quays and structures occasionally used for burial ceremonies.” (Miroslav Verner, The Pyramids, p. 232). Another interesting fact about Khafre’s buildings and projects is the numerous statues of himself found throughout his work. Unlike Khufu, who only had one statue that was found portraying him, there have been many statues found of Khafre: “The number of statues and their precise function, not only in Khafre’s pyramid complex but also in other pyramids, is a subject of debate among Egyptologists. For example, Edwards [Iorwerth Eiddon Stephen Edwards] estimates that there could have been as many as one or two hundred of them in the Khafre complex.” (Miroslav Verner, The Pyramids, p. 233). Miroslav Verner goes on to describe the majesty of the valley temple and the structures surrounding the pyramids at Giza and the Great Sphinx. “The valley temple is not only a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian monumental architecture, but also the best preserved example of its kind in the Old Kingdom. For precisely that reason the area in front of it was cleared of sand, and in 1869 the temple, together with the other monuments of the pyramid necropolis in Giza, represented the background for the ceremonial opening of the Suez Canal, which was witnessed by a hand-picked elite among the entourage of Empress Eugenie.” (Miroslav Verner, The Pyramids, p. 234).

As stated before even though the origin of the Great Sphinx is still unsure most Egyptologists place it as being created under the reign of Khafre. This mysterious structure is often debated and has marveled people across the centuries: “The Great Sphinx in Giza is more than simply a symbol of ancient and modern Egypt. It is the very embodiment of antiquity and of mystery itself. Over the centuries it has fired the imaginations of poets and scientists, adventurers and travelers.” (Miroslav Verner, The Pyramids, p. 234). The native people call the Great Sphinx “Abu al-Hawl” which means “The Father of Terror.” Also the word sphinx is actually a Greek word, but the Egyptian word for it is shesep-ankh which means “living image.” All research and investigations on the Sphinx have come up with the precise measurement, the specific materials used, and everything except who built it and its purpose. There are those who date it during the time of Khufu, those who say it was during Djedefre’s reign, and others who say it was created by Khafre. Miroslav Verner himself agrees with it being done in Khafre’s era because of the archaeological contexts: “However, suggestions that it was created between 7000 and 5000 B.C.E., and possibly even earlier, are so incompatible with the specific archaeological and general historical contexts that they need not be taken seriously. Now as in the past, most Egyptologists believe the Sphinx was Khafre’s work and was created during the construction of his pyramid complex. Researchers base their opinion on carefully developed and verified work procedures and methods.” (Miroslav Verner, The Pyramids, p. 236). This is why Verner places the Sphinx in Khafre’s section of his book. So if it’s true that the Great Sphinx was created when the pyramid complex was, then it would attest to why Khafre’s pyramid wasn’t built as architecturally good as Khufu’s, because he was working on more than one project at a time and since the Sphinx was the most unique structure he might have spent more time making that architecturally precise. The Sphinx has the head of a man and the body of a lion, and faces the east. On the head, the Sphinx wears the traditional nemes crown and uraeus symbol of the sacred asp, and was originally painted red which can still be seen vaguely. But who is the man the Sphinx’s face wears? There are many different theories on this as well. One is that it is the image of the sun god Re (or Ra), and the other view is that it bears Khafre’s image; but both are just hypotheses. From the time it was created unto recent times many people have taken on the task of reconstructing and preserving the Great Sphinx. In the New Kingdom era of Egypt Pharaoh Thutmose IV had a dream where the Sphinx spoke to him and promised him that he would become ruler if he removed the sand from off the Sphinx; this is recorded in dream stela. In Roman times, as well, there is evidence that restorations were made on the structure. In our time as well, 1998, the Sphinx was entirely restored, and I actually remember seeing this on the news when I was about ten years old.

All in all the Great Sphinx has marveled, amazed, and terrified people from the day it was built. It is just another testament to the awe-aspiring architecture of the ancient Egyptians. “The Great Sphinx (the local people call it Abu al-Hawl, “The Father of Terror”) is a colossal statue of a recumbent lion with the head of a ruler. It is over sixty meters long and twenty meters high, and was long considered the largest statue in the world.” (Miroslav Verner, The Pyramids, p. 235). It is as intimidating as the three enormous pyramids that stand behind it, and has been sought out by people from every culture just so they could get a glimpse at its magnificence. The structures in Egypt are the most fascinating architectural amazement of the ancient world, but those that stand in Giza none can compare to them. I will leave you with a final quote from Miroslav Verner on Khafre and his achievements: “We can assume that with him the main branch of the royal family once again became dominant. Along with the growing importance of sun worship, the Re’s priesthood’s power further increased during Khafre’s reign. As a result, the Sphinx, which was worshiped as an image of the sun god Harmakhet (Greek Harmachis, ‘Horus in the horizon”), might have been incorporated into Khafre’s pyramid complex. The ruler retained strict control over the central state power and, through his family, over all the important offices of the land as well.” (Miroslav Verner, The Pyramids, p. 157).