Was the Sphinx Eroded by Water?

At first glance the Great Sphinx and its surrounding enclosure walls at the Giza Plateau in Cairo appear to have been exposed to severe water erosion over a long period of time, in addition to the erosion caused by wind and sand.

What caused Sphinx deteriorate?

Chemical processes caused by wind, water and the sun have eroded the Sphinx since it was chiseled out of bedrock 4,600 years ago. Some Egyptologists say the erosion, if not stopped, could eventually cause the head to topple.

What damaged the Sphinx?

The Arab historian al-Maqrīzī, writing in the 15th century, attributes the loss of the nose to Muhammad Sa'im al-Dahr, a Sufi Muslim from the khanqah of Sa'id al-Su'ada in 1378, who found the local peasants making offerings to the Sphinx in the hope of increasing their harvest and therefore defaced the Sphinx in an act ...