The Great Sphinx of Egypt

This enormous stone sculpture of a sphinx, a mythical female creature with a human head and torso and lion’s body, was built near the Great Pyramid in Egypt. Since no inscriptions tell us which king or kings ordered it built, or when or why, scholars still debate its place in ancient Egyptian history and thought. It remains the largest stone monument in the world. (Gianni Dagli Orti / The Art Archive at Art Resource, NY.)