Filmed in 1897, this is the OLDEST footage of the Great Sphinx of Giza, considered the largest single-stone state on the surface of the planet. Curiously, it also considered the most mysterious.

Ancient stories and texts suggest there are hidden chambers, cavities and tunnels located beneath the Sphinx, which have been covered up during numerous restoration works throughout the years. This video footage shows what the Sphinx looked like before major restoration work took place.

The Great Sphinx of Giza is, without doubt, one of the most marvelous ancient structure son the surface of the planet. Curiously, it is also one of the most mysterious. The history behind the great Sphinx of Giza is one that has fascinated archaeologists, historians, and tourists alike. The stories about the Great Sphinx of Giza area pure mixture of incredible mythology, mysterious origins, and connections that lead towards world beyond our own. In other words, the Great Sphinx of Giza is an ancient structure worthy of legends.

Until today, not a single experts can say for sure who built the Great Sphinx of Giza. Modern archaeologists continue to debate who carved the Great Sphinx, when was it carved, and what its true purpose is.

However, one of the most incredible developments in recent years is a study presented at the International Conference of Geoarchaeology and Archaeomineralogy held in Sofia titled: GEOLOGICAL ASPECT OF THE PROBLEM OF DATING THE GREAT EGYPTIAN SPHINX CONSTRUCTION.

The study indicates that the Sphinx of Egypt is around 800,000 years old.

But there is a ton of information that shows just how great the Sphinx really is.

Many researchers consider the Sphinx to be an astronomically aligned monument.For those who did not know, the mighty Sphinx was carved from the bedrock of the Giza plateau, a single ridge of limestone that is 73 meters long and 20 meters high.

Given its dimensions, it is considered the LARGEST single-stone state on the surface of the planet.

The full body of the Great Sphinx was only exposed completely in 1905 when the sand was cleared away. It is one of the few constructions of ancient Egypt that have no inscriptions on its surface until today not a single symbol has been found on the Sphinx.

The Great Sphinx has become an emblem of Egypt, frequently appearing on its stamps, coins, and official documents. In Greek mythology, a Sphinx is represented as a monster with a head of a woman, the body of a lioness, the wings of an eagle, and a serpent-headed tail.

The Sphinx became a symbol of kingship in the New Kingdom, and several pharaohs of built temples in the area surrounding the Sphinx. Pharaoh Amenhotep II built a mud-brick temple to the north-east of the Sphinx while Rameses II who is considered one of the ancient kingdom’s most prolific builders constructed an altar of granite between its paws.

The Great Sphinx of Giza was mentioned in Pliny the Elder’s book Natural History, commenting that the ancient Egyptians looked upon the statue of the Sphinx as a “divinity” that has been passed over in silence and “that King Harmais was buried in it”.

While there are countless images today of the Great Sphinx of Giza, old images and footage of the Sphinx in antiquity are rare.

In this article, we bring you a video of the Great Sphinx of Giza that was filmed in 1897 and is considered the OLDEST video footage of the Sphinx, ever.

The video only lasts 41 seconds but it shows what the Great Sphinx looked like before major renovations took place.

Don’t forget to check out: 10 extremely rare, ancient images of the Great Sphinx you’ve probably never seen