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The head of a human and the body of a lion. Sound scary? In Ancient Egypt, that was what protected tombs and temples. It was called a sphinx.
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Many stories tell about an animal called a sphinx. It has the head of a human being. From the shoulders down, it is a lion.
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In Ancient Egypt, the sphinx was wise and kind. The sphinx was a good guard. It helped guard pyramids. It helped keep them safe.
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The biggest sphinx in the world is in Egypt. It is called the Great Sphinx of Giza. It is a large statue. It is outside the Great Pyramids of Giza. It is 4,500 years old. It is one of the oldest relics in Egypt.
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The sphinx is reclined. Its paws are in front of it. It is 73 metres from its paws to its tail.
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The statue has crumbled. It is damaged. Erosion was not kind to the sphinx. But it is still there to see.
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The statue has lost its nose. Some people say it was destroyed in war. They say that the French did it. Some people say that a new ruler broke it in 1378. He did not like that people worshiped the sphinx. He wanted to stop them. So he broke the nose.
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We do not know the true story. It is one of the many mysteries. But it must have been difficult to break! The nose was 1 metre wide.
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The sphinx was part of many ancient Egyptian stories. The ancient Egyptians told stories about other animals. They told stories about Apep, an evil snake. They told stories about Bennu, a magical bird. They told stories about Uraeus, a powerful cobra snake. These stories tell us a lot about Egyptian beliefs.
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Wind and rain still damage the sphinx. People try to look after it. But it is not an easy job. Maybe one day it will be gone forever.