Egypt 5: Sphinx area II

A few more images of the Sphinx that may interest you:

Here's the Sphinx from the back.  One doesn't often get see a Sphinx's butt in photos.











 
As you can see, the Sphinx's body is suffering from deterioration from ground water coming up and cracking the limestone.  As you can also see in this and the above image, attempts at restoration have been made for some time.

Just recently, within the last 10 years or so, during restoration, they found a hidden doorway that lead to a tunnel into the body of the Sphinx.  Here is a shot of that doorway.  It can barely be seen in the photo above, just to the left of the rock outcropping partially hidden in shadow.

For me, this is more evidence of water erosion.  The Sphinx is on my left.  One can see the little temple entrance behind the guy in the white shirt on the right.  These groves, when they lead to the edge on the right, correspond with the deep valleys cut into the limestone.  Looks to me as though these channels funneled the water run off over the side.

Here is a camel driver who was patiently waiting behind the fence behind me as I snapped the above photo.  He wanted me to pay for a ride on his camel in the worst way.  Notice the headdress.  Scarf over baseball cap.  Mixed the old with the new to keep the sun off his neck.

Here's our group in front of the Sphinx.  The five members of the trip (on left) are in back.  From left to right, me, Marcus, Melony, Sheahan, and Mike.  West is in front left.  A gal who joined us for that one day is next to West on right.

Then, Suhaila, our required Egyptian tour guide.  She has been working with West for over 20 years.  And Susan, in the blue headdress, was an Egyptian tour guide along to take notes and learn about West's ideas first hand.

We are now outside the Sphinx enclosure, behind the little temple I liked so much.  This shows a close up of the size of the limestone blocks used in building the temple as well as wind and sand erosion that looks very different from water erosion.  West is pointing this out.

This individual is one of many who have carefully considered West's ideas and enthusiastically agree.

To the left of the camel above, one can see all the activity that takes place on the Giza plateau each day.  Fortunately, the hawkers are not allowed inside the Sphinx enclosure.

Continue on to Post 6: Giza plateau by clicking here