Egyption Sphinx
Some history and general info:
*In Ancient Egyptian mythology, a Sphinx is a zoomorphic figure, usually depicted as a recumbent lioness or lion with a human head, but occasionally with the head of a falcon, hawk, or ram. The figure had its origin in the Old Kingdom and is associated with the solar deity Sekhmet, who also was the fierce war deity and protector of the pharaohs. She remained as a strong figure in Egyptian religion throughout its history, even during the Amarna period. *
The sphinx were often described as Sekhmet’s children. The use of heads of other animals atop the lioness body followed the titularly deities of the city or region where they were built or which were prominent in the Egyptian pantheon at the time.
Generally the roles of sphinxes were as temple guardians and they were placed in association with architectural structures such as royal tombs or religious temples. Later, the sphinx image, or something very similar to the original Egyptian concept, was imported into many other cultures, albeit often interpreted quite differently due to translations of descriptions of the originals and the evolution of the concept in relation to other cultural traditions.
Sphinx - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ancient Sphinx:
The Great Sphinx of Giza, with the Pyramid of Khafre
Two 3000 year old *Sphinxes lining a quay in front of *St Petersburg Academy of Arts. They were moved from Egypt to Russia.
Modern Sphinx:
Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas
Some Info on the hotel:
*The Luxor is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It was one of the city’s first fully-themed megaresorts. *
It has an Ancient Egyptian motif and contains a total of 4,407 rooms lining the interior walls of a hollow pyramid and contained within twin ziggurat towers that were built as later additions. The hotel is named after the city of Luxor (ancient Thebes) in Egypt, the site of the Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Luxor, Temples, and scores of other pharaonic monuments — but no pyramids.
The Luxor is among the most recognizable hotels on the strip because of its striking design. Designed by renowned hotel architect Veldon Simpson, the main portion of the hotel is a 350-foot (110 m)-high (106 m), 30-story pyramid of black glass (in comparison, the Great Pyramid of Giza with original capstone topped out at 481 ft). The hotel is marked by a large obelisk with the name of the property in lighted letters, while the porte-cochere travels underneath a massive recreation of the Great Sphinx of Giza.
The tip of the pyramid contains a fixed-position spotlight that points directly upward – it is the brightest beam in the world, and is visible from anywhere in the Las Vegas valley at night, and can be seen at flight level from above Los Angeles, California, over 275 miles (440 km) away
In the spring, the bright light attracts huge numbers of moths into the light beam, creating a phenomenon that has been likened to snow. Light is generated using 45 Xenon lamps of 7 kilowatts each.
Luxor (hotel) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.las-vegas-hotel-tours.com/images/still-images/luxor-hotel.php/luxor_exterior_AM.jpg
A view of the interior
http://www.winsite.com/info/images/17000000037543/luxor_c.jpg
