Légende

The caption accompanying this 1903 illustration in Gaston Maspero’s book on History of Egypt reads: “Great Sphinx and Chapel of Thutmosis IV. drawn by Faucher-Gudin from photograph taken in 1887 by Emil Brugsch-Bey.” Egyptian sphinxes were sculpted as reclining figures, usually with heads of males - often those of the reigning ruler. The best known of all Egyptian sphinxes is the so-called Great Sphinx at Giza in Lower Egypt, a colossal figure carved from natural rock and serving as a guardian of the Nile Valley. Inscriptions on a pink granite slab between the Great Sphinx’s paws tell the story of how the statue was saved from the sands of time. Prince Thutmose, son of Amenhotep II, fell asleep near the Sphinx, the story goes. In Thutmose’s dream, the statue, calling itself Harmakhet, complained about its state of disarray and made a deal with the young prince: It would help him become pharaoh if he cleared away the sand from the statue and restored it. Whether or not the dream actually occurred is unknown, but when the prince did, in fact, become Pharaoh Thutmose IV, he introduced a Sphinx-worshipping cult to his people.

Crédit

Photo12/Universal Images Group/Ivy Close Images

Notre référence

UMG25A01_194

Licence

Droits gérés

Format disponible

53,5Mo (3,2Mo) / 29,0cm x 46,2cm / 3423 x 5460 (300dpi)

Mots clés

Emil Brugsch-Bey Great Sphinx sphinx Giza Egyptian sphinx ancient Egypt Egyptian pyramids Nile Valley pharaohs pyramid Egypt Egyptian desert Gaston maspero maspero tutmosis IV thutmose IV Thutmose IV Sphinx tutmosis IV sphinx chapelof Tutmosis IV chapel of Thutmose IV dream stele faucher-gudin Emil Brugsch-Bey