The area surrounding the colossal limestone statue, thought to have been built during the reign of Pharaoh Khafra (2558-2532BC), has been closed for almost four years to allow for damage caused by water and air pollution to be repaired.
“The Sphinx courtyard will be opened for the first time since the restoration of the monument [began]”, Mohammed al-Damati, Egypt’s antiquities minister, told AFP. "Once the courtyard is opened, tourists can walk around the Sphinx.”
