travelling-blogger

comments

A full-size replica of the famous Great Sphinx of Giza will be dismantled in China after complaint from Egypt.

The 30-metre-high, 60-metre-long structure in northern Hebei province has provoked outrage from Egypt's ministry of antiquities, which has voiced its displeasure to Unesco.

A Chinese official has said the replica, which is made from steel bars and cement, will only be used as a temporary scene for shooting movies and television dramas.

Modern replica: The statue in China appears to have been built using reinforced concrete

The original sphinx was carved from limestone and is one of the oldest statues in the world

'We are very respectful to the world cultural heritage and express our apologies for any misunderstanding,' said the spokesman who declined to be named, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

The structure is the latest in a line of Chinese recreated Western landmarks, including a minature Mount Rushmore, an Eiffel Tower and an entire Austrian village.

The Great Sphinx of Giza replica has been popular with local residents and tourists who have been gathering to take photos of the bizarre addition to their skyline.

Like the original sculpture, it features the head of a human and the body of a lion.

Full-size version of the Great Sphinx of Giza appears in CHINA!

The designers have even copied its broken nose, which was mysteriously damaged hundreds of years ago.

But it unlike the original - which was carved from limestone - the Chinese version appears to have been built using reinforced concrete.

According to video news website Newsflare, which released footage of the village's newest resident, the Chinese sphinx took just two months to construct.

Its developer said it will be available to hire as a film location and would become a tourist attraction in the country.

The designers have even copied its broken nose, which was mysteriously damaged hundreds of years ago

Famous face: The original sphinx was buried up to its neck in sand until 1925

It may have the novelty factor but it will be hard to beat the original when it comes to visitor numbers -  it is one of the oldest and biggest sculptures in the world and attracts thousands of tourists each year.

It is located on Egypt's Giza Plateau on the west bank of the river Nile where the Great Pyramids can also be found.

It was constructed around 2500BC during the reign of Pharaoh Khafra, and it is thought that the face of the statue was modelled on his.

Over time it gradually became buried up to its neck in sand, which helped to preserve it before it was finally excavated in 1925.

Tourist mecca: The statue in Egypt is located on Giza Plateau close to the Great Pyramids