First World War Postcard of 'The Sphinx and the Pyramid of Cheops', Egypt

The Great Pyramid, the tomb of King Khufu (c.2589–2566 BC), with its original height of 146.5 meters, was the tallest structure in the world for 3,800 years. It remains the last surviving member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and took an estimated 10 to 20 years to build. To this day, it is not entirely certain how this was done. The Great Pyramid is made of local limestone, but its exterior was once entirely covered with high quality limestone. Colossal statues are one of the hallmarks of ancient Egyptian civilization, and the Great Sphinx of Giza is the most famous. It was carved directly out of the bedrock during the 4th Dynasty (c.2613–2494 BC), which also makes it the oldest. Ancient Egyptian sphinxes represented the king with the body of a lion, in a clear demonstration of his power.