Did Napoleon Really Shoot Off The Great Sphinx's Nose?

There are several sphinxes across Egypt, according to History. After all, the mythological creature was a part of the region's folklore at the time, in both Egyptian mythology as well as Greek and West Asian folklore. The being with the body of a lion and head of a man (or woman) was believed to be a spiritual guardian and protector. As such, there's a two-mile stretch of Ancient Egypt that has been given the nickname "Sphinx Alley."

THE Sphinx, however, is at Giza. History is not clear on when or why it was built, but the evidence seems to suggest that the 66-foot-tall, 250-foot-long monument was built for the Pharaoh Khafre in about 2603-2578 B.C. Archaeologists have found flecks of what they believe is red paint, suggesting that the monument may have at one time been painted.

These days, the Sphinx is a major tourist attraction, and the Egyptian government is keen to keep it accessible. However, as recently as the early 1800s, the entire thing was buried in sand, and it took until the 1930s to dig it out.