Egypt to open Sphinx area to tourists again

Egypt will soon open to tourists the courtyard in front of the Sphinx, the colossal monument which has been under restoration for nearly four years, officials said on Sunday.

Carved from a single ridge of stone, the Sphinx is one of the most visited monuments in the world, and has been regularly restored from air pollution and underground water damage.

The limestone half-man half-lion sits in a quarry below the level of the plateau where the pyramids of Giza stand on the outskirts of Cairo.

"The Sphinx courtyard will be opened for the first time since the restoration" of the monument, Antiquities Minister Mohammed al-Damati told reporters on a tour of the site.