The sphinx has had a long history of secrecy and intrigue, being viewed by many cultures as guardians of knowledge and as speaking in riddles.
Some of the most famous depictions, ranging from ancient Greece to Asia, are variations of Oedipus' encounter with the sphinx.
Bested at last, the sphinx then threw herself from her high rock and died.
Ultimately the sphinx represents human desire and ability to penetrate the mysteries of the universe, while warning us to venture there at our own risk.
Beyond the natural ecosystem, tuna provide food and recreation for human beings.
The revived Mannerist Sphinx of the sixteenth century is sometimes thought of as the French Sphinx.
After the Giza necropolis was abandoned, the Sphinx became buried up to its shoulders in sand.
Found throughout history, in tales and in art, the sphinx always possesses an enigmatic character.
Originating in Ancient Egypt, the sphinx as a mythical creature existed in Ancient Greece and Mesopotamia, was revered by the later Western World, and to this day still exists in Eastern cultures.
The earliest artistic depictions of "sphinxes" from the South Asian subcontinent are to some extend influenced by Hellenistic art.
To what extent the sphinx played a role in ancient Egyptian mythology is an issue of debate.
The exact riddle asked by the sphinx was not specified by early tellers of the story and was not standardized as the one given above until much later in Greek history.
Perhaps the sphinx guards such knowledge until such time as true human beings, worthy and capable of understanding truth, appear on the earth.
The Great Sphinx was believed to stand as a guardian of the Giza Plateau, facing the rising sun.
The sphinx varies in physical features, but is almost always a composite of two or more animals, and some versions are part-human part-animal.
Usually, the sphinxes appeared as giant statues with the faces of pharaohs and almost always were regarded as protectors of temples or sacred areas.
Nora Nair and Thep Norasingh are two of the names under which the "sphinx" is known in Thailand.
Alluring, knowledgeable, and dangerous, the sphinx is to be approached with caution.
The Great Sphinx was believed to stand as a guardian of the Giza Plateau, facing the rising sun.
Blocks of stone weighing upwards of 200 tons were quarried in the construction phase to build the adjoining Sphinx Temple.
The "strontium unit" is used in measuring radioactivity from absorbed 90Sr.
Some believe that Khafre usurped the throne of Djedefre and then built his pyramid and Sphinx at Giza. A German Egyptologist has even suggested that the Sphinx was built by the father of Khafre, King Khufu, who was also the builder of the Great Pyramid.