The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt & Nubia

1856

Special Collections DS107 RM28

London: Day & Son

This coloured image of the Sphinx and the pyramids at Giza is from sketches by the Scottish artist David Roberts (1796-1864). Roberts realized a boyhood dream when he left for the ‘remote East’ in 1838. During 18 months of travel, he sketched monuments, landscapes, and people. The results – his drawings combined with the lithographic process – are simply stunning. Indeed, there was no other 19th century publication like it. Constructed between 2589 and 2543 BC, the pyramids (Khufu (Cheops); Khafre; and Menkaure) continue to be major destinations for tourists travelling to Egypt. The Great Sphinx of Giza (Arabic: أبو الهول‎ Abū al-Hawl, English: The Terrifying One; literally: Father of Dread), continues to guard the valley temple.