The Dimensions of the Great Sphinx of Giza: Complete Measurements and Survey Data

The Great Sphinx of Giza measures approximately 73.5 metres in length, about 20 metres in height, and 19.1 metres in width across the haunches. These figures are based on detailed surveys carried out by Mark Lehner in the early 1980s.

Key Measurements (after Lehner, 1991)

• Total length (forepaws to tail): 73.5 m

• Maximum width (haunches): 19.1 m

• Maximum height (base to head): ~20 m

• Height of head above enclosure floor: ~10 m

• Width of face: ~4.5 m

• Head length (north–south): ~10.3 m

• Eye width: ~1.5–1.6 m

• Original nose height: ~2.2 m

• Ear height: ~2.0 m

• Mouth width: ~2.3 m

Detailed Measurements and Observations

The most detailed modern measurements of the Great Sphinx were published by Mark Lehner in The Archaeology of an Image: The Great Sphinx of Giza (1991), based on a comprehensive field survey of the monument.

The total length of the Sphinx—from the tip of the masonry-covered forepaws (which extend approximately 26 metres beyond the natural rock forepaws) to the end of the tail—is 73.5 metres. The monument reaches a maximum width of 19.1 metres across the haunches.

The height of the head above the enclosure floor is approximately 10 metres, with the top of the back reaching about 12.4 metres at its highest point. The head itself measures about 10.3 metres from north to south, including the nemes headdress, which extends beyond the face on either side.

Facial features also reflect the monument’s scale. The face is approximately 4.5 metres wide, the eyes measure around 1.5–1.6 metres in width, and the ears are about 2 metres high. The nose, now missing, originally stood around 2.2 metres high, while the mouth is approximately 2.3 metres wide.

These measurements highlight the immense scale of the monument as well as the cumulative effects of erosion and restoration over thousands of years.

Source: Lehner, M. E. (1991). The Archaeology of an Image: The Great Sphinx of Giza [Zenodo]. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1203621

Additional Structural Features

In addition to its overall dimensions, the Great Sphinx contains several tunnels, shafts, and natural cavities, some of which have been explored and measured in detail.

Head cavity (top of the Sphinx’s head)

An ancient, man-made conical opening cut into the top of the head, often described as a shaft or hole.

Modern measurements suggest the cavity is approximately 1.5–1.75 metres deep and around 1.5–1.6 metres wide at the top, with a slightly longer east–west axis (Lehner, 1991). Earlier descriptions vary: Napoleon’s survey team recorded a depth of  up to 3 metres.

Perring’s Hole (behind the head)

A shallow, modern excavation created in the early 19th century by John Perring, engineer to Howard Vyse.

This feature measures approximately 3.10 metres (east–west) by 2.00 metres (north–south) and is about 1 metre deep (Lehner, 1991). It is not an ancient feature but the result of 19th century exploratory work.

Bedrock fissure (rear of the body)

A natural geological fracture running through the limestone body of the Sphinx, sometimes mistaken for an artificial passage.

The fissure is approximately 3.6 metres wide (N-S) at the narrowest point of the waist and opens to more than 2 metres wide (W-E) along the back. Although parts of it may have been modified, no constructed chamber exists at its base (Lehner, 1991).

Rear shaft (behind the Sphinx)

A genuine ancient tunnel identified during modern archaeological investigations by Mark Lehner and Zahi Hawass.

The shaft descends from a circular opening and slopes steeply northeast for approximately 4 metres, reaching a depth of about 5 metres before terminating in the natural bedrock. The passage narrows from about 1.30 metres wide at the entrance to just over 1 metre at its base.

Source: Lehner, M. E. (1991). The Archaeology of an Image: The Great Sphinx of Giza [Zenodo]. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1203621 and Lehner, M. and Hawass, Z. (1994) “The Passage Under the Sphinx.”

Further Reading

For a more detailed discussion of these features and their history, see the articles on this page beginning here.