For centuries, the mystery of the Sphinx statue (with a human face and a lion’s body) at Giza Plateau, Egypt, has yet to be satisfactorily answered. Who built the statue, why was it built, and what does it signify?
Recently, Egyptologist Vassil Dobrev from the French Institute of Archaeology in Cairo revealed insights into this statue after 20 years of research.
It has long been believed that Pharaoh Khafre of the Fourth Dynasty (who built a pyramid located behind the Sphinx) was responsible for the statue’s construction, as it resembles him. However, Dobrev argues that the statue, created over 4,500 years ago, was commissioned by Pharaoh Djedefre, Khafre’s half-brother and the son of Khufu, the king who constructed the largest pyramid at Giza.
After Khufu’s death, the ancient Egyptians mourned, leading to the construction of many pyramids over several decades. Dobrev posits that Djedefre, who succeeded Khufu, built the Sphinx with a likeness to his father, equating Khufu with the sun god Ra, in an effort to encourage the people to honor the king’s dynasty. Dobrev states that this is the first time he has concluded that the Sphinx was built by Djedefre after Khufu’s passing.
N.T.ĐA (According to Xinhuanet)