矗立在尼罗河西岸吉萨高原上的狮身人面像(Great Sphinx of Giza)全长约73.5米,最高处达20.22米,是目前世界上已知最古老且体型最大的单体巨石雕像。这座被埃及人称为阿布·霍尔(Abu al-Hawl)的古迹位于哈夫拉金字塔(Pyramid of Khafre)的堤道旁,由整块天然石灰岩基岩雕凿而成。目前进入吉萨景区需要购买540埃镑的成人通票,学生持国际学生证(ISIC)可享受半价优惠,建议出发前查看官网获取最新票价变动。由于景区内几乎没有任何遮蔽物,清晨八点准时入场或下午四点后再进行参观能避开最毒辣的阳光与大型旅游团的喧嚣。
如今的吉萨大金字塔景区已经全面实行无现金支付,现场售票处只接受信用卡或借记卡,不收埃镑现金。单人成人通票包含狮身人面像所在区域的进入权限,但如果你想进入胡夫金字塔内部或者观看晚上的灯光秀,则需要另外付费。目前景区的整体开放时间通常是早晨七点到傍晚五点,冬季会提前一个小时关闭。如果你想省下排队的时间,可以提前在埃及旅游和文物部的官方网站购买电子票。有个细节很多人会忽略,拿着学生证购票时,工作人员检查非常严格,必须是带照片的实体ISIC卡,手机截图或者一般的校园卡往往会被拒绝。
从开罗市中心抵达狮身人面像的最优方案是直接使用打车软件优步(Uber),而非在路边拦截出租车。从解放广场(Tahrir Square)出发,不堵车的情况下大约四十分钟就能到达,车费通常在150至200埃镑之间。如果你想直接住在景点旁边,选择大金字塔村(Nazlet el-Semman)附近的酒店最为方便,那里有很多带天台的旅馆能让你在吃早餐时就正对着狮身人面像的侧脸。这种近距离接触虽然震撼,但也要做好心理准备,这一带的商贩极为热情甚至有些难缠,面对骑骆驼或推销纪念品的邀约,礼貌但坚定地摇头并继续走开是最好的策略。
大多数从开罗或赫尔格达出发的旅游大巴会在上午十点左右集中抵达。为了能拍到一张背景没有路人的狮身人面像全身照,你最好在早上七点半就等在景区入口处。此时的光线柔和地打在石像那张带有法老面孔的脸上,非常适合摄影。到了下午三点半以后,大批团客开始撤离去吃晚饭,此时夕阳西下,金字塔与狮身人面像的影子拉得很长,整片高原会被染成金橙色,那种荒凉而壮阔的美感是正午时分绝对体会不到的。千万别选周五或周六这种当地休息日过来凑热闹,那时候开罗本地的家庭也会倾巢出动,景区会拥挤到让你怀疑人生。
当你站在石像前方的观景台上时,仔细观察狮身人面像的两只巨大前爪之间,会发现一块高达3.6米的粉红色花岗岩石碑。这块著名的记梦碑(Dream Stele)是由图特摩斯四世(Thutmose IV)在大约公元前1401年立下的。根据碑文记载,当这位年轻的王子还是个孩子时,他在被沙土掩埋的狮身人面像下打盹,石像化身的太阳神在梦中告诉他,如果他能清理掉石像身上的积沙,就能成为未来的法老。后来他真的如愿登基并信守诺言完成了清理工作。如果没有这块碑,我们可能永远无法准确还原这座巨像在古代如何被不断神圣化和修复的过程。
不同于金字塔由外部石块堆砌而成,狮身人面像是直接在吉萨高原的原生岩层上开凿出来的。古埃及工匠首先挖出一个巨大的马蹄形采石坑,中心留下一块巨大的岩芯,然后再将其精雕细琢成狮子身体。这种工艺意味着石像的头部和身体受到的风化程度完全不同,因为头部的石材质量更硬、更紧密,而身体部分的岩石层含有较多水分且质地较软。这就是为什么今天看到的狮身人面像头部轮廓清晰,而身体部分却由于千年的风蚀和曾经的河水上涨而呈现出明显的横向沟壑感。关于那个消失的鼻子,民间流传是拿破仑的大炮轰掉的,但史料显示早在拿破仑出生前的几个世纪,阿拉伯史学家就记录了鼻子的毁坏,极有可能是因为宗教争议导致的故意损毁。
大多数人会挤在石像正前方的平台上拍那种假装接吻的借位照,但那里的栏杆其实挡住了石像优美的侧面线条。想要拍出大片感,建议沿着狮身人面像南侧的坡道往上走,靠近哈夫拉金字塔堤道的位置。那里海拔稍高,可以将狮身人面像作为前景,同时把背后的胡夫金字塔或哈夫拉金字塔完整地收入框内,构图深度远胜于正面直拍。另外,位于石像下方的山谷神庙(Valley Temple)内部也是个好去处。透过厚重的多立克式石柱缝隙看过去,狮身人面像会显现出一种被相框框住的庄严感。这里人烟相对较少,地面铺设的磨光雪花石膏在光线下非常有质感,是拍摄人文视角照片的绝佳背景。
目前狮身人面像的主体部分是实心的,并不像金字塔那样拥有复杂的内部廊道。虽然在石像的背部、臀部和头部下方存在几处极其狭小的垂直探坑,但这些区域目前全部不对游客开放。普通游客能到达的最接近距离是其侧面的观景走廊,你可以清晰地观察到石像前爪之间的记梦碑以及地基处的岩层结构。
不需要额外购买专门的狮身人面像门票,你只需要购买吉萨大金字塔景区(Giza Plateau)的成人通票即可。这张540埃镑的门票已经包含了参观狮身人面像、三个主要金字塔的外观以及周边的贵族墓葬群。如果你是从景区东侧的山谷神庙入口进入,检票员会在这里查验你的高原大通票。
这只是一个广泛流传的误区,拿破仑的军队不该为此背锅。根据15世纪阿拉伯历史学家马格里齐的记载,狮身人面像的鼻子早在公元14世纪就被一名极端的苏菲派教徒损毁,因为他认为人们对这尊石像的崇拜违背了宗教教义。现存的石像面部痕迹也显示,鼻子处有明显的凿子撬动痕迹,而非火药爆炸导致的无规则崩裂。
Shrouk Mamdouh Feeling small next to this ancient great sphinx You don’t need any extra tickets to get there just the entrance ticket to Giza plateau But you need to show your ticket to the sphinx guard Usually busy in weekend and public holidays
Ter Shen Ng Visiting the Great Sphinx of Giza in January was an incredible experience. The site was less crowded, allowing for a more peaceful and intimate encounter with this iconic monument. The cooler, more chilling weather made exploring the area comfortable and enjoyable. The Sphinx itself is awe-inspiring, a testament to the ingenuity and artistry of ancient civilizations. The surrounding area offers stunning views and a deep sense of history. I highly recommend visiting in January for a more relaxed and comfortable visit.
nidhi kaintura Guarding the pyramids, this majestic creature is not just huge but marvelously carved out of limestone. While it is located right at the start of the Giza complex, it is recommended to visit it later than at the start as the crowd starts to build as the day goes by. Look to do some memorable photography here as the pyramids and sphinx both get captured in one frame. Time of visit December 2022
Highway Video The Great Sphinx of Giza is located within the same complex as the Great Pyramids of Giza. This limestone statue features a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with a human head and a lion's body. As one of the world's oldest and largest monumental sculptures, it stands as a remarkable testament to ancient craftsmanship. We enjoyed a fun camel ride from the pyramids to the Sphinx, adding to the memorable experience.
Alan Egan Go and see this ancient wonder while it still stands. Over 4,000 years old and one of the very few links left to the old world. It was a bit smaller than I anticipated and it's face has seen better days, but what an amazing structure for it's time (especially as it was completely cut and shaped from the bedrock), and with the awesome backdrop of the Great Pyramid in proximity, it is something you should see once in your life. Some free advice - just ignore the sellers and the camel guys. They would steal the eye out of your head if given the chance. They always start by asking "where are you from my friend?" A friendly old guy with a camel tried to remove the ring from my partners finger during a handshake he initiated. I confronted him and he walked off sneering in Arabic. The mask slipped there. Absolute scumbag. The radar was on for the rest of the day after that. This didn't take away from what a special site this is.