Dreaming the Sphinx 2.1.5

The Great Sphinx at Giza traces back to the reign of King Khafre from Dynasty 4, around 2576–2551 BCE. Positioned amidst its front legs is a royal granite stela adorned with hieroglyphs that date over 1,000 years later (Dynasty 18, approximately 1401 to 1391 BCE).

On the ornate stela's top, beneath the mirrored depictions of Thutmose IV offering libations and incense to the Sphinx, the narrative unfolded across numerous horizontal lines of hieroglyphs represents a romanticized piece of royal propaganda. The tale narrates how the young Prince Thutmose slumbers in the shadow of the Sphinx's head, implying that the rest of the body lay buried under sand in his era. Manifesting as the sun god in a dream, at solar peak, the Sphinx presents Thutmose with an offer of kingship upon clearing the sand covering its body. Acting on this dream, Thutmose directed his artisans to craft the stela from a granite block sourced from Khafre’s pyramid temple, placing it between the Sphinx's forelegs. Though depicted as occurring in his inaugural year as king, this detail likely leans towards propagandistic elements, embellishing Thutmose's "divine right" to ascend the Egyptian throne.

This augmented reality application reconstructs the historical context of the Dream Stela and the Sphinx across different epochs, virtually situating visitors facing the engraved text between the Sphinx’s legs. Moreover, it furnishes insights into Thutmose IV, elucidates on this stela's significance, delves into the history of the Sphinx, and sheds light on the remarkable archaeological marvels of the Giza Pyramids site.