Sphinx John H Allan 1843 1

The Great Sphinx, John H. Allan, A Pictorial Tour in the Mediterranean (1843) — Open full-size image.

An image of the Great Sphinx of Giza published in 1843 in “A Pictorial Tour in the Mediterranean” by John H Allan. The funerary monument of Khentkawes can be seen over the left shoulder of the Sphinx. Allan mentions a rare shower of rain in the accompanying text: “We had scarcely time to examine this singular and gigantic monument of antiquity, when a smart shower of rain, the first we had experienced in Egypt, drove us away; a neighbouring tomb afforded us shelter, which we found had lately been converted by Hill and Co., of Cairo, into a sleeping apartment, furnished with chairs, tables, etc. for the accommodation of those wishing to pass the night at the pyramids.”

Historical illustration reference: Wikimedia Commons — John H. Allan illustration.

Return to Image Gallery 2 — Images of the Great Sphinx from the early 19th Century