Great Sphinx, Egypt

From series “The Oldest Surviving Monuments on Earth”

5 out of 11 - Treasury of Atreus, Greece

7 out of 11 - Pyramid of Calakmul, Mexico

Year: 2 thousand years BC.. Lenght: 72 meters. Height: 20 meters.

The Great Sphinx of Giza is probably one of the most famous and recognizable ancient monuments in the world. The ones in Giza. The huge statue, which is not far from the Cheops pyramid, attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists and is considered one of the most mysterious buildings in the world. One of Sphinx's main castles is the history of its origins. According to one of the versions, Sphinx was built in honor of Chephren Pharaoh. However, there is no official confirmation of this theory.

The exact time of the statue building remains unknown. The scientists believe that it was built 4 000 years ago. With respect to the impressive size of the statue and the complexity of some of its elements, the construction of such an unusual seems more than 4,000 years just incredible. The length of the Sphinx forms about 72 meters, and the height - about 20 meters.

The remarkable statue with the body of the lion and the head of man was severely damaged by the element and the destructive activity of man. In the 14th century, an Arabian Sheikh had examined the power of his guns. It is true that the face part of the sculpture in this period was deliberately partially destroyed. In the 14th century it was forbidden in the Arab countries to portray human faces. The purposeful and full research of the most ancient monument was begun only after 1925, when it was completely freed from thousand-year-old sand deposits. During the excavations, the ruins of the ancient sanctuary were discovered between the fore-paws of the statue, which, unlike the statue, was unfortunately completely destroyed.

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Newgrange, Ireland

Treasury of Atreus, Greece

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Great Sphinx - interactive map

Useful staff nearby

ATM bankomat: 'Credit Agricole Egypt' located in 1.76 km (

check the route on the map).

Car rental office: 'El General' is located in 1.57 km (

on the map).

Fuel station: 'Mobil Gas Station' in 1.29 km

Parking: 'DMoner Labeb Twfek' in 3.2 km

Apotheek: 'Mohammad El Khawli' in 0.82 km

Police station: 'El Omraneya Police Department' in 5.46 km

Cafe/restaurant: 'Queen Cleopatra Restaurant & Coffee' in 0.3 km

Nearest airports:
» Cairo Airport CAI - in 30 km

» Borg el Arab International Airport HBE - in 173 km

» Alexandria International Airport ALY - in 177 km

» Port Said Airport PSD - in 179 km

» El Arish International Airport AAC - in 285 km

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Cities nearby

» Guide to Cairo

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» Guide to Alexandria

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» Guide to Hurghada

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Best hotels near Great Sphinx

Sphinx Guesthouse Giza

Located in 0 km from Great Sphinx
Route on the map:

Rooms: 13

All air-conditioned rooms are fitted with light wooden furniture. Each is equipped with a minibar and a wardrobe. The bathroom is fitted with a bath … More: photo, rates and booking

Mena House Hotel (Formerly Mena House Oberoi)

Located in 1 km from Great Sphinx
Route on the map:

Rooms: 420

All accommodations at Mena House Hotel have air conditioning and include luxurious fabrics, a seating area and LCD TV. Each room and suite has a … More: photo, rates and booking

Middle East Hotel

Located in 2 km from Great Sphinx
Route on the map:

Rooms: 80

Each room at the Middle East Hotel is equipped with air conditioning, satellite TV and a mini bar. Pharaoh Restaurant serves a wholesome English … More: photo, rates and booking

Pyramids Park Resort Cairo

Located in 3 km from Great Sphinx
Route on the map:

Rooms: 476

All the rooms at Pyramids Park are air conditioned and cable TV. Guests at Pyramids Park can dine at one of the hotel's 4 restaurants and dine by the … More: photo, rates and booking

Nearest unique sightseeing spots to visit

0 km - City of the Gods

From the series 'Unbelievable Underground Mini-Cities'

The Great Pyramid of Cheops is the utmost Wonder of the World. Right under it was found one of the most mysterious and outstanding underground cities of the world. The first researching works were held there in 1978. The underground tunnel that they found was named …

11 km - 6th October Bridge

From the series 'The Longest Bridges in the World'

In Cairo is the bridge of 6 October with the length of 20.5 km. This bridge crosses the Nile twice and connects the western part of the city to the international airport, which is located in the eastern part of Cairo. The bridge was named to honor the important …

13 km - Islamic Art Museum

From the series 'Top Surviving Artifacts of Muslim Civilization'

In Cairo, there is also an incredibly interesting Museum of Islamic Art, which collects historical artifacts and works of art all over the world. The museum in Cairo is very large, there are 25 galleries in its building, each of which represents artifacts of a certain …

18 km - Memphis Necropolis

From the series 'The Unesco World Heritage Sites in Africa'

Tourists in Egypt, who want to see more than Thebes Necropolis, can visit the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis and get to know its unique sights. This once mighty city existed for more than 3000 years. Its history ended in the fifth century of our chronology. Today …

19 km - Pink Pyramid

From the series 'Top Survived Pyramids from Previous Civilizations'

In Egypt, there are the unique sightseeing pyramids also outside of Giza. One of them, known to the general public under the romantic name of the Pink Pyramid, is located in Dahshūr. The third-largest pyramid of Egypt has the height of 140 meters and was built in the …

91 km - Monasteries of Wadi Natrun

From the series ' Survived Artifacts of Early Christian Civilization'

Many unique attractions and Christian artifacts are hidden among the desert landscapes of Egypt. The Wadi Natrun desert is a great example. One of the main features of this area is a variety of lakes; local water has high sodium contain. Devotees and tourists are …

Top destination around Great Sphinx - Cairo

On Muizz Street (or Shareʻ El Muizz), there is a no less interesting market called the Coppersmiths Bazaar that is a great place to shop interesting souvenirs. For more than a thousand years, skillful artisans have made items of incredible beauty from copper and brass in Cairo. At the Coppersmiths Bazaar, it is possible to purchase magnificent candle holders, hookah, trays, fabulous copper tablemats, copper jewelry, and various interesting souvenirs that will attract budget travelers with their affordable price.
In order to buy premium jewelry, consider visiting Midan Opera. Many popular jewelry shops in Cairo are open not far from this square. They offer gorgeous gold jewelry in Egyptian style. By the way, the price of gold per gram in Egypt is one of the lowest in the world. Savvy travelers may be more interested in shopping interesting silver jewelry. By the way, many local jewelry shops accept individual orders on silver and gold jewelry.

The Haret al-Fahhamin bazaar is a must for everyone who plans to purchase a gorgeous handmade carpet or amazing tapestries. There are workshops right in the market, so tourists can also watch how local masters are making beautiful carpets. Antiquity fans will find it interesting to visit several antiquity shops that are also open here.
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