What ancient limestone statue with a lion's body and a human head stands on the Giza Plateau?

The ancient limestone statue with a lion’s body and a human head on the Giza Plateau is the Great Sphinx of Giza.

Carved from the limestone bedrock at Giza, the monument depicts a reclining sphinx facing east toward the rising sun. It is about 73 meters long, 19 meters wide, and 20 meters high, making it one of the world’s largest and oldest monumental sculptures.

The Sphinx was created during Egypt’s Old Kingdom, probably between about 2600 and 2500 BCE. Scholars have traditionally associated it with Pharaoh Khafre, whose pyramid and mortuary complex stand nearby, although some evidence has also led researchers to consider Khufu’s reign. The exact identity of the face remains debated.

A common mix-up is confusing the Sphinx with the pyramids themselves: the Sphinx is a separate guardian-like monument carved from one mass of rock. Its missing nose was not destroyed by Napoleon’s soldiers; drawings show it was already absent before Napoleon’s campaign.