It has a pharaoh's head and a lion's body. The Great Sphinx was sculpted from a massive outcrop of limestone that protrudes from the desert floor. It is the largest free-standing sculpture that have survived from antiquity. The Great Sphinx stands 20 meters (66 feet) tall, around the height of one and a half buses placed on end. Its face looks toward the west, where the sun rises over the Giza Plateau. The statue was built for King Khafre, who ruled from 2589 to 2566 B.C. He ordered the sphinx to protect his tomb from robbers. The statue's face is nearly complete when Khafre dies. His successor, King Khufu, continues building the huge structure. When completed, it will have taken more than 10,000 hours to build. In addition to being a monument to the power of kings, the great Sphinx is also believed to have had some kind of magical quality. Some people say that if you stand in front of the nose and say your name, you will be able to hear it ring out across the desert. Others claim that if you rub two stones together in front of the mouth, then leave home without saying goodbye, your return will be haunted by a sphinx for eternity. These are just some of the many myths and legends surrounding this amazing statue.