The Sphinx … is not just a statue sculpted by the ancient Egyptian genius artist. Still, rather it is the eternal symbol of Egypt and a testament to the greatness of its history and civilization. These are not just words and slogans but facts confirmed by archaeological evidence that cannot be interpreted. The interpretation of this is as follows:

When King Khafre – the son of King Khufu, the owner of the Great Pyramid at the foot of the Giza Plateau – began building his pyramid next to his father’s pyramid, he ordered the royal sculptors to carve the Sphinx and in front of it was a huge temple of the sun, the first temple of the sun to be built west of the Nile River. As for the reason why King Khafre embarked on this gigantic and unique project, it is simply to embody himself in the image of the Sphinx as a symbol of kingship as he makes offerings to his father, the deceased king who equated himself with Baraa, so Khufu became Ra, meaning the sun, and thus Farre as the son of Ra makes offerings to his father In the Sun Temple twice at sunrise and sunset.

This is about the job; As for the name and its meaning, which is what our great writer Professor Samir Atallah asked about in his article “Summer Cities: Why did they call it the Sphinx?” In our newspaper, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat. The ancient Egyptians referred to the Sphinx in the Old Kingdom – about 4,500 years ago – as “Roti”, a sacred symbol for them in the form of a lion, whose function is to protect and guard.

In the modern state era, the Egyptians called the Sphinx “Hor im sister”, meaning Horus (the falcon) on the horizon. Indeed, the ancient Egyptian was able to show the statue that represents the Lord Horus between the hierarchies of Khufu and Khafre, or between the two horizons. This name later evolved in later ages to “Hor Mahas”, and I believe that the Sphinx symbolises the sun or Ra that rises and sets between the two pyramids.

In the era of the Middle Kingdom, the word “Shesab Ankh” meant a living image, and it was used for the statues of the Sphinx, and the name “Sphinx” might be a distortion; of the name “Sheb Ankh.” The statue was described in the painting “The Dream”, located between the sphinx’s claws, as “the ankh,” meaning the living image or statue.

The Sphinx also appeared to have the name “Horona” about the Canaanite god “Horona”, the god of protection who entered Egypt with the foreigners who settled next to the Sphinx.

As for the name of the statue in Arabic (Sphinx) is a distortion from the Pharaonic name “Bar Hawl or Bu Hawl,” meaning a place, house, or shelter for Horus falcon symbol of property in ancient Egypt. The word was modified with the entry of the Arabs to Egypt by adding “alif” before “Bu” and transforming the letter “H” to “H”. Therefore, it was called Sphinx, and this name has no connection to Abu al-Ra’b or Abu al-Fazaa as it is believed.

The Great Sphinx has withstood time; And he witnessed the entire history of Egypt with its joys and sorrows; The kings of the pharaohs were keen to visit him and protect his body from the invasion of sand and winds and were revered by the Greek and Roman philosophers, and it was the destination of travellers at all times; He was and still is an inspiration to poets and writers.

The Sphinx now invites my dear brother Samir Atallah to visit Egypt. I will accompany him to visit the Sphinx to know its secrets and see the hidden catacombs and stand in front, symbolising a sophisticated human civilization that continues to affect us.