Scientists start restoration of the Great Sphinx of Giza

Eitb 24
Apr. 07, 2006

The statue was carved out of the surrounding limestone and is believed to have been built by ancient Egyptians in the third millennium BC.

The Supreme Council of Antiquities is carrying out the work, with scientists hoping to rectify what they call previous mistakes in the restoration of the monument.

Zahi Hawas, the head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the Sphinx had suffered the greatest damage when restoration workers used cement to the half-man, half-lion statue in the eighties.

"The Sphinx is like a human being, when you put cement on the body of the Sphinx, it stops the breathing of the limestone", he said, stressing that this time it was important to "restore the Sphinx correctly."

The work is to focus on the neck and chest of the Sphinx, which have suffered from erosion and desert winds.

The statue was carved out of the surrounding limestone and is believed to have been built by ancient Egyptians in the third millennium BC.

The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the largest single-stone statues on Earth. It is 57 metres (260 feet) long, 6 metres (20 ft) wide and 20 metres tall (65 ft).

The last restoration work was undertaken in 1996.