The Great Sphinx of Tanis is one of the masterpieces at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The Egyptian word for a sphinx was Shesep-Ankh, or “Living Image”, a symbolic representation of the close relationship between the sun god (lion’s body) and king (human head).
Tourist Information
| Type | Museum piece, Ancient Artefact |
| Year | 2600 BC |
| Where | Louvre Museum Room 11 Egyptian Department |
| Louvre Visiting Hours | All visitors, including those entitled to free admission, must book a time slot. Bookings can be done through the online ticketing service. |
| Louvre Ticket Price | 17 E for Individual Visitor |
| Book your ticket | https://www.ticketlouvre.fr/louvre/b2c/index.cfm/home |
| Getting to Louvre | Metro: Louvre – Rivoli Station |
| Location | Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France, Europe |
What is the Great Sphinx of Tanis famous for?
The Great Sphinx of Tanis is a granite sculpture of a sphinx and it was discovered in the ruins of the Temple of Amun-Ra at Tanis.
It is on display at the Louvre and it’s one of the largest sphinxes outside of Egypt.
The statue weighs 9.5 tons.
Shesep-Ankh
The Egyptian word for a sphinx was Shesep-Ankh, or “Living Image”, a symbolic representation of the close relationship between the sun god (lion’s body) and king (human head).
The sphinx was inscribed with the names of the pharaohs Ammenemes II (12th Dynasty, 1929-1895 BC), Merneptah (19th Dynasty, 1212-02 BC), and Shoshenq I (22nd Dynasty, 945-24 BC). According to archaeologists, certain details suggest that this sphinx dates to an earlier period – the Old Kingdom (c. 2600 BC).
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