Largest monolithic sculpture

The largest sculpture in the world to be made from a single piece of stone is the famous Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt, which measures 20.22 m (72 ft 10.01 in) high, 73.5 m (241 ft 1.69 in) long and 19.3 m (63 ft 3.84 in) wide. With the body of a lion and the face of man (now thought to be that of pharaoh Khafra), it was made around 2500 BC from a natural outcrop of limestone, with the face originally being painted red. The Great Sphinx faces due east, towards the rising sun, but its exact purpose and original name are both unknown. There is a small temple between the front paws, and the beard is currently on display in the British Museum in Lodon. Today, the Great Sphinx is often used as an emblem of modern Egypt, used on stamps, money and official documenation. However, it is unfortunately eroding – wind, humidity and the smog from Cairo are all problematic, and in 2007 authorities found that sewage dumped in a nearby canal was leading to moisture being drawn up into the Sphinx, causing large flakes of limestone to peel off.