What type of stone was the Great Sphinx carved from?

The Great Sphinx was carved from limestone.

The statue was cut directly from the Eocene limestone bedrock of the Mokattam Formation on the Giza Plateau, rather than assembled from separately quarried blocks. Its body depicts a reclining lion, while its human head represents royal authority, creating the sphinx form associated with Egypt's pharaohs.

Built during Egypt's Old Kingdom around 2500 BC, the Sphinx is generally linked to the reign of Khafre, whose pyramid and valley temple stand nearby. However, the identity of the face remains debated: some scholars have proposed Khufu or Djedefre instead. Its original surface was also altered by weathering and repeated restoration.

Granite and basalt were important Egyptian building stones, but they are not the Sphinx's principal material. Sandstone was widely used elsewhere in Egypt, especially in southern temples. The Sphinx's immense size—about 73 metres long and 20 metres high—helped make it one of the world's most recognizable ancient monuments.