In this vintage photo taken some time between 1860 and 1929, we see the Great Sphinx of Giza with the Pyramid of Khufu in the background. The photo is part of the New York Public Library’s ‘Egypt and Syria‘ photographs and prints collection.
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion’s body and a human’s head. The famous statue at Giza is made of limestone and is the largest monolith statue in the world, standing 73.5 meters (241 ft) long, 19.3 metres (63 ft) wide, and 20.22 m (66.34 ft) high. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture, and is commonly believed to have been built by ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom during the reign of the Pharaoh Khafra (c. 2558–2532 BC). [source]
The Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis and the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (and the only one to remain largely intact). Egyptologists believe that the pyramid was built as a tomb over a 10 to 20-year period concluding around 2560 BC. Initially at 146.5 metres (481 feet), the Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. [source]
