Egypt's Sphinx to get facelift

AFP - Yahoo ^ | March 14, 2006 | AFP

[Justice]

General view of the Sphinx and pyramids at Giza. The Great Sphinx of Giza, one of the most famous monuments of Pharaonic Egypt, is to get a facelift, the Egyptian ministry of culture said.(AFP/File/Amr Nabil)

CAIRO (AFP) - The Great Sphinx of Giza, one of the most famous monuments of Pharaonic Egypt, is to get a facelift, the Egyptian ministry of culture said.

Restoration work on the noseless creature undertaken by the High Council for Antiquities is to focus on the beast's neck and chest, rendered fragile by the erosion of desert winds.

Egyptian antiquities boss Zahi Hawas said the last restoration work on the half-man half-lion statue was carried out in 1996.

The face of the 73-metre long and 20-metre high Sphinx, believed to have been built 5,000 years ago, is thought to be modelled on the Pharaoh Khepren and wears a royal headdress.

Situated close to the Great Pyramids of Giza just outside Cairo, the Sphinx will remain accessible to the public during the restoration work.

[AFreeBird]

As a piece of sculpture it appears to have fallen into inexpert hands. They didn't even blend the new head and neck into the old body, size disparity aside.

Yea, could be, but then who were the experts that built all the other things around there. Like you said, the splendor of the (new) Cheops pyramids. I find it hard to believe that something of that magnitude and public display would have been left to an inexperienced sculpture. And considering all the stone work going on during those times, it's not like it was a lost art or something.

But I agree other forces/damage could have required the reshaping of the head.

[Pro-Bush]

[RightWhale]

There was a degree of regimentation in Egyptian sculpture those days. Each workman was required to have a level of expertise that many could achieve, but was not allowed to be creative. There was little of individual whim, in contrast to the builders of the gothic cathedrals, where creativity was the goal even if workmanship was somewhat questionable.

[Justice]

Interesting picture, but if you want the Hildabeast, try this view of the Sphinx.

LOL

[AFreeBird]

I bow to your ancient wisdom old...old..old.old-timer ;-^)

[RightWhale]

Nah, I just have some ancient writings of art critics nearby. Do you know the story of the third pyramid? Can't tell it here.

[AFreeBird]

You mean the little one? No, never heard it.

[RightWhale]

It's a very old story, maybe as old as the pyramid itself. Everybody knew about it 2500 years ago, but few know now. It might be true; it might be a folk tale; it might have been a crude joke: hard to tell now.

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

related:

I Have Solved The Riddle Of The Sphinx, Says Frenchman
The Telegraph (UK) | 12-14-2004 | Nic Fleming
Posted on 12/13/2004 5:36:33 PM PST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1300743/posts
67 posted on 12/14/2004 9:25:18 PM PST by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1300743/posts?page=67#67

Great Pyramid may still contain Khufu's intact pharaonic tomb
Daily Star (Lebanon) | Thursday, July 14, 2005 | Kyle Cassidy
Posted on 07/14/2005 12:56:38 AM EDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1442529/posts

Mysterious Inscription on the Great Pyramid
RobertSchoch.net | 2004 | Robert Schoch
Posted on 01/30/2005 12:57:01 AM EST by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1331709/posts

Khufu Pyramid: King's Chamber, Tomb View
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/egypt/explore/khufutombking.html

THE GREAT PYRAMID
Author: Dreamland?
Posted on 01/13/2001 06:40:12 PST by free_pub
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a5ff84c07c0.htm

[null and void]

I seem to recall that the Sphinx is defaced because Arab conquerors fired cannons at its head. Is this correct?

Yes. As møøslimbs the were offended by the graven image.

Hard to fathom that anything would offend a møøslimb...

[null and void]

No. It was caused from wind erosion.

Wrong.

[null and void]

The nose appears destroyed on engravings from before Napoleon's time, and given the fact that the French army was accompanied by a group of "savants" (researchers), the target idea is completely ridiculous.
Arab authors mention a fanatic mediaeval “holy man” (Muslim) who set out to destroy pagan monuments. Two traces remain of the lever cavities made to pry off the nose (LEHNER, Compl. Pyr., p. 41 and picture).

[null and void]

*sigh* No, not cannon.

[wideminded]

Egyptian antiquities boss Zahi Hawas said the last restoration work on the half-man half-lion statue was carried out in 1996.

Before opening this thread I said to myself, "I bet Zahi Hawas is mentioned prominently in the article" and sure enough there he is.. Then I thought "It wouldn't surprise me if he arrnged to have his face put on the sphinx." Then I see him in post #22 comparing his profile with the sphinx.

[S0122017]

They are going to restore it? Too bad they don't know how it originally looked like. Unless you ACTUALLY believe THAT HEAD fits on THAT BODY.

[Mr. K]

I believe it was built long long before 5000 years ago. Look at the layers of earth that build up around it? (modern civilization had to dig it out of the ground-only the head was showing)

I think only the head was showing when they built the pyramids.

and I think it was either an entire civilization we know nothng about- or aliens
probably aliens

[Dustbunny]

I hope they do more than a facelift. Restoration is needed.

[SunkenCiv]

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