WONDERS OF THE WORLD
THE GREAT SPHINX OF GIZA
Egypt
The Face of the Old Kingdom
Next to the great pyramid of Khufu sits the pyramid of his son, Khafre. Khafre also is reckoned to have built the Sphinx: the largest monolithic statue on Earth. As long as a football field and seven stories tall, the Sphinx would tower over most things, if it weren't for the colossal pyramids behind it.
In this episode, we talk about how we think Khafre was responsible for the great statue (again, not aliens), and also how Thutmose IV used it 1100 years later to justify his own reign.
While exploring the sphinx, and the pyramids and temples of the Giza Necropolis, just outside of Cairo, we eat koshari, the vegetarian-friendly national dish of rice, pasta, tomato sauce, and more.
Sources:
Reynolds et al, The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: the Great Monuments and How They Were Built
Hart, George, Pharaohs and Pyramids: a Guide Through Old Kingdom Egypt
Murnane, William, The Ancient Egypt Guide
The Lonely Planet Guide to Egypt
Photo by Daniel Meyer on wikicommons