Fun Fact #440 Only the Sphinx Nose

 Fun Fact #440

Only the Sphinx Nose

According to popular legend, during his 1798 Egyptian Campaign, Napoleon decided to sight in his cannon by shooting off the Spix’s Nose. However this is blatantly false, as a 1737 painting shows it had already been long missing by the time Napoleon came about. 

So what actually happened to the oldest Monolithic Statue in the world (made in 2558BC)? Well only the Sphinx knows for sure but it seems the Mamluks took credit in the 10th century by claims they were removing iconography around the world naming the Sphinxes (Plural) from egypt with a local leader named Al-Dahr taking personal responsibility for the removal of the Noze, lips and Beard of the sphinx that remains today. The Nose is the only piece that remains lost, with restoration having begun in 1903 and continuing to this day. They plan to someday reattach the nose and beard as well as repaint it based upon pigments of  blue, and red which are stained into the limestone.