Napoleon and His Men Shot Off the Sphinx’s Nose

Although the extended absence of the Sphinx's nose is unquestionably a significant historical loss, the cause varies depending on who you ask. According to a common myth, Napoleon and his forces decided to set up camp near the great pyramids while traveling through Egypt as part of a sort of conquest tour. While they were there, they made the decision to hone their soldiering abilities, and someone had the bright idea that they should practice cannon fire aiming.

Since there weren't many other suitable targets, they naturally concluded that the Sphinx's face would be ideal for the task. Naturally, given the lack of other suitable targets, they decided that the Sphinx's face would be ideal for the task. The ensuing target practice resulted in the destruction of the Sphinx's nose and permanently identified Napoleon and his men as buffoons who would deface a historical artifact for a ridiculous reason.

Napoleon did visit Egypt, but the tale about his men and the Sphinx is wholly untrue. The fact that the Sphinx was shown in creative artwork from long before Napoleon's reign strongly demonstrates that the legend is untrue. While there is currently no historical agreement, some sources assert that it occurred long ago, when Egyptians were pleading with the Sphinx for a better harvest. A Muslim was outraged that they were praying to a Sphinx rather than his God, so he broke the Sphinx's nose to hurt its feelings and was executed as a result.