Cairo — The Pyramid of Khufu and the Sphinx

Perhaps the most iconic image at the Giza Pyramid Complex (after the Pyramid of Khafre for me) is the Great Sphinx of Giza. From paw to tail this half man/half lion measures 240 feet/73 meters, and it rises 66 feet/20 meters above the ground. So, even though it appears smallish, especially in comparison to the three large pyramids at this site, it is indeed a very large structure:

And it would look even more impressive if Napoleon’s troops hadn’t blasted off its nose with cannon fire. That’s a myth, by the way. Drawings of the Great Sphinx predating Napolean show it was missing long before “Le Petit Caporal” (The Little Corporal) came along in 1798.

Here’s a side of the Great Sphinx one seldom sees:

Now, normally I hate selfies, but our guide offered, so here we are:

Looking back to the west I captured a three-fer — the Pyramid of Khafre, Pyramid of Menkaure, and one of the three Pyramids of the Queens located just south of Menkaure:

And that is where I’ll leave you for today, with these remaining photos:

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)