The Great Sphinx at Giza, with the Mummification Temple of Khafre, The Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Khufu



Ram headed Sphinx from the Temple of Karnak, dedicated to the God Amun Ra



Sphinx from the Valley of the Lions, Temple of Wadi el Seboua

Relief from the Temple of Edfu of a Pharaoh presenting a Sphinx to one of the Gods

Sphinxes were ubiquitous in Egyptian temples, but they came in many varieties. They were guardians and protectors, so every Pharaoh made sure they had plenty of them around. The Temples of Luxor and Karnak, only a few kilometers apart, had a grand avenue of 1,200 sphinxes between them, as well as several shorter avenues. Wadi el Seboua, which translates as "The Valley of Lions" in Arabic, was named for the sphinxes leading up to the Temple. Most of the sphinxes I saw had the head of a man, but at Luxor I saw many ram headed sphinxes of Karnak. These were dedicated to the sun God Amun Ra, who was depicted with ram's horns or a ram's head over a man's body. Temple reliefs often showed Pharaohs making offerings to the Gods, but most of the time these were of food and drink and other Earthly goods, not a supernatural protector as was shown on the relief from the Temple of Edfu.