Sphinx with smiley face unearthed in Egypt and experts think they know why

Archaeologists have discovered a new sphinx-like statue in Egypt and remarkably, this one has a big smile on its face.

The artefact was discovered in the remains of a shrine in a temple in Qena Province, just south of Cairo.

Though it resembles the famous Sphinx in the Pyramids of Giza, which stands tall at 20m and has a no-nonsense expression on its face, this limestone statue is far, far smaller, and appears to be grinning.

After some inspection, experts think that they've figured out why he has a 'smiley face and two dimples'.

Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

The man depicted in the statue also wears a headdress known as a Nemes, traditionally worn by ancient Egyptian pharaohs - though experts don't believe he was a pharaoh, but an emperor.

It is believed that the smiling statue was stylised to represent ancient Roman Emperor Claudius.

But how would a statue of a Roman emperor wind up in an Egyptian tomb - and in the shape of a sphinx, no less?

Well, when Claudius ruled as emperor from 41 to 51 A.D., he successfully expanded Rome into parts of North Africa and the Middle East.

To solidify this theory, a slab from the Roman era was also found in the tomb, with hieroglyphic and demotic writings on it.

Archaeologists hope that, by restoring and studying the markings on the slab, more information into the statue's identity will be revealed.

Confirming the suspicions, Mamdouh El-Damaty, a former minister of archeology said in a statement this week, that the statue was 'magnificent' with facial features 'meticulously depicted royal features and a light smile on his lips, which have two dimples on the ends.'

Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

This new discovery was made during ongoing excavations by Ain Shams University in the Dendera Temple.

This mission, which began last February, marks the first dig at this site, according to the university.

The team said in a statement on their official website that they plan to excavate the area 'for many seasons to come' to 'add a lot to the Egyptian civilisation in the Greek and Roman ages'.

Previously, discoveries like this have been promoted by the Egyptian government in the hopes of attracting more tourists and boosting the country's economy.

Xinhua / Alamy Stock Photo

Earlier this year, Egypt's Ministry of Tourism announced their aim to attract a whopping 30 million tourists by 2028.

The highest recorded tourist rate for Egypt so far is 14 million tourists in the 2009/2010 season. Rates, which have been dwindling since then, were severely impacted by the pandemic.

And what better to get the tourists on planes than happy little Egyptian artefacts?