FactSentinel

The claim that Napoleon Bonaparte's soldiers used the Great Sphinx of Giza for target practice, blasting off its nose with cannon fire during his 1798 Egyptian campaign, is a persistent myth unsupported by historical and visual evidence. The most compelling proof against this theory comes from sketches made decades before Napoleon's birth. Danish explorer Frederic Louis Norden drew detailed illustrations of the Sphinx in the 1730s, clearly depicting the monument already missing its nose. Since Napoleon was not born until 1769, his troops could not have caused damage that predates his existence by over thirty years.

Historical and archaeological evidence points to a much earlier origin for the missing nose. Many Egyptologists believe the damage was deliberately inflicted with tools sometime in the medieval period, possibly during the 14th century, though the exact culprit and motive remain debated. Some historical accounts attribute the destruction to Sufi Muslim leader Muhammad Sa'im al-Dahr, who reportedly vandalized the Sphinx in 1378 for religious reasons, viewing it as an idol. Erosion from wind and sand over thousands of years may have also contributed to structural weakness in that area.

The Napoleon myth likely persists due to broader misconceptions about his Egyptian campaign, during which his scholars did study and document the Sphinx extensively, inadvertently linking his name to the monument in popular imagination. This association, combined with a general fondness for dramatic historical anecdotes, has helped the false narrative endure despite clear evidence to the contrary.