The Great Sphinx is located near the northern Egyptian city of Giza on the west bank of the Nile River. The Pyramids of Giza are also located there. The Sphinx, which lies south of the Great Pyramid, is around 24 feet in length and 66 feet in height.
The Great Sphinx is the most famous artistic rendition of a sphinx. It is also the earliest surviving example, dating back to the third century B.C. The sphinx, in general terms, is a mythological creature of great importance to ancient Egyptian and Greek art and mythology. In both cultures, the sphinx has a human head and the body of a lion. In the earliest reference to a sphinx, Hesiod referred to it by the name "Phix."
