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.
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.
In Ancient Egypt, the sphinx was wise and kind. The sphinx was a good guard. It helped guard pyramids. It helped keep them safe.
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.
The sphinx is reclined. Its paws are in front of it. It is 73 metres from its paws to its tail.
The statue has crumbled. It is damaged. Erosion was not kind to the sphinx. But it is still there to see.
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.
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.
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.
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.