CAIRO: Egypt says archaeologists have discovered a statue of a lion’s body and a human head in the southern city of Aswan.

The Antiquities Ministry said on Sunday the sphinx made of sandstone was found in the Temple of Kom Ombo during work to protect the site from groundwater.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said the statue probably dates back to the Ptolemaic time.

The Ptolemaic Dynasty ruled Egypt for some 300 years from around 320 BC to about 30 BC.

Egypt hopes such discoveries will spur tourism, partially driven by antiquities sightseeing, which was hit hard by political turmoil following the 2011 uprising.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2018