STANDING GUARD

Nestled in a hollow at the foot of the Giza Plateau is a huge statue of a strange half-lion, half-human beast. This is the Great Sphinx, guardian of the Giza pyramids. Its head and neck are in the shape of a man wearing a striped headcloth that flares out to the sides and falls over the shoulders, with a pigtail in the back. This type of headcloth is called a and was worn only by kings. A rearing cobra, called the , adorns the king’s forehead. The ancient Egyptians believed that this snake protected the king and was always ready to spit fire and poison at his enemies.