Sphinx of Taharqo

Lore & Background

Taharqo was a Nubian king of the 25th Dynasty, succeeded by his nephew Tantamani, who was the last Nubian ruler of Egypt. His reign lasted from 690 BCE, when he succeeded Shebitqo (the son of Piye and brother of Shabaka), until his death in 664 BCE. He was the son of Piye and Abar and father to his daughter, Amenirdis II. As a ruler of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty, Taharqo initiated a golden age for his new kingdom, worshipping the Egyptian god Amun, building pyramids and temples in the Egyptian model, and having his officials write in Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Reader's Guide

The Sphinx of Taharqo is a masterpiece of Kushite art that exemplifies the cultural and political fusion of Nubian and Egyptian traditions during the Third Intermediate Period. The lion body is rendered in classic Egyptian style, while the face is a portrait of Taharqo, and the headdress bears two uraei, the Nubian symbol of kingship.

Hieroglyphs on the statue identify it as a portrait of the great king, with his name appearing in a cartouche on the chest. The statue was excavated at Temple T near the Temple of Amun at Kawa, construction of which began in 683 BCE by Taharqo. It was selected as the twenty-second object in the BBC Radio 4 series A History of the World in 100 Objects, highlighting its significance as a symbol of Kushite power and artistry.