Submission 1
The
great Sphinx is a very crucial monument not only to Egypt where it stands but
also to the entire world. It is a very unique landmark associated with ancient
Egypt. There has been overwhelming
evidence that this landmark monument was built by Pharaoh Khafre of Egypt
during his rule that existed between 2520-2494 BC (AERA, 2002). This has been recorded in fields of archeology,
geology and architecture. The purpose of the Great Sphinx was to display and
relate the king with the god of sun. It was the mere part of several structures
that were built to be used for cult by the sun god and the then king. King Khafre
is believed to have ruled for 26 years and Great Sphinx bears his face. The
archeologists have been convinced that this monument took around 26 years to be
built (Chukwunyere, 2007). The scholars
have come to conclusion that this monument was built by excavating millions of
cubic meters of limestone that were in turn used to construct the pyramids. The
monument is still standing up to now and it is found in Giza plateau of Egypt.
This report will provide a deeper research on the Great Sphinx found in Egypt.
Submission 2
In
term of materials that were used to construct this monument, it is believed to
have been carved in to a shape resembling face of ruler Khafre. Those who were
charged with mandate of overseeing the building of this monument by the then
ruler, they employed a technique of transforming a rock knoll that was used by
masons that were building pyramids of Khufu. This is how they managed to build
a shape of stone that replicated face of Khafre and lion body (Sergio, 1993). The archeologists have noted that the body
of Sphinx is made of poor quality layers of mother rock material with a lot of
cracks and fissures. Also important to note is that the base of this monument
is made up of a harder type of rock that is very brittle and rough. There exist
large fissures that are visible on the lower part of lion body and at the base
of the monument. The Great Sphinx was carved from the natural limestone that
was of poor quality formed from geological process.
Since
this monument was formed through carving, it implies that there no much needed form
of transportation since the main work was through excavation and carving tools.
However, it is still a huge mystery of how the workers were able to move huge
pieces of rocks (Goth, 2004). On the
other hand, thousands of men were used to build this monumental statue and this
gives hint that the same men were used to remove the carved stones from the
site. There is no existing record or literature showing the name of the person
designed the great sphinx but it was generally designed and built by 4th
Dynasty builders (David, 2002). However, it is known that the king designers
did not have Great Sphinx in their mind on their initial design. This structure
was improvised to do away with knoll of limestone rocks that blocked the king’s
view of the pyramids. This reveals that the King had one of the most brilliant
designers in that time.
The Great
Sphinx was built by thousands of slaves of Pharaoh Khafre and this is how he
managed to obtain a huge work force to accomplish a project of such mammoth
scale. The slaves were used to carved this structure from limestone (Holly, 2009). The carvings obtained from this
structure were also utilized to built tombs and pyramids. After the Great Sphinx
was constructed, it was faced with a major problem; a threat of erosion by
rough desert winds. This process of erosion defaced the structure and this
called for the successors to undertaking activity of restoring it. It was
repaired to maintain its previous shape.
Submission 3
The
importance of the Great Sphinx in the recent time and throughout the history is
that it is a vital symbol revealing kingship of ancient Egypt. It has also
displayed the architecture has been part of human race since time in memorial.
Additionally, the structure has been remained as one of major iconic landmarks
that are associated with modern Egypt. Due to its status, it has served as a
huge attraction to both scholar and tourist. As a result, it has economic
importance in the current Egypt.
References
AERA.
(2002). Sphinx Project. Retrieved April 17, 2013, from
www.aeraweb.org/projects/sphinx/
Chukwunyere,
K. (2007). The Little African History Book - Black Africa from the Origins
of
Humanity to the Assassination of Lumumba and the turn of the
20th Century. London: Orisa Press.
David,
K. (2002). Newsletter of ancient Egypt Research Associates. Aeragram ,
5 (1), 1-16.
Goth,
R. (2004). Book of the Sphinx. New York: Tseng Information press.
Holly,
H. (2009). Frommer's 500 Places to See Before They Disappear. New York:
John Wiley
& Sons.
Sergio,
D. (1993). The Great Sphinx at Giza: Date and Function. Comitato
Organizzativo del
Congresso , 2 (1),
602-629.
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