Dream Stele Monument

Address: Between the paws of the Great Sphinx, Giza Plateau, Giza Governorate, Egypt

Website: https://egymonuments.gov.eg/

Hours: Giza Plateau generally Daily 8:00am-5:00pm (seasonal hours)

Admission: Included with Giza Plateau entry; international visitor fees apply (approx. 200-400 EGP depending on ticket type)

The Dream Stele, often called the Sphinx Dream Stele, is an ancient Egyptian monument placed between the front paws of the Great Sphinx at Giza. It was erected by the pharaoh Thutmose IV in the New Kingdom period, around the 18th Dynasty (c. 1400 BCE), to record a dream in which the sphinx promised him kingship.

The stone tablet is carved with a hieroglyphic text and reliefs that recount the dream, the pharaoh’s commission to clear sand from around the Sphinx, and the deity’s blessing. The inscription was intended to legitimize Thutmose IV’s rule by linking it to a divine encounter with the Sphinx.

The stele sits on the Giza Plateau adjacent to the Great Pyramid complex, within the archaeological site commonly visited by tourists to Cairo’s western desert edge. It is visible from the Sphinx viewing area and forms part of the ensemble of monuments at Giza.

• Inscription content: Inscribed in hieroglyphs, the stele records a dream in which the Sphinx promises kingship to the future pharaoh and was raised to advertise that story.
• Viewing location: The stele stands between the paws of the Great Sphinx on the Giza Plateau and is usually viewed from the public area around the Sphinx enclosure.

From central Cairo: take Al-Ahram Street west toward the Giza Plateau. Nearest metro is Giza (Line 2) - from there it’s a taxi ride of about 10-15 minutes to the complex entrance. Many guided tours stop directly at the Sphinx enclosure; on-foot access across the plateau requires paying the Giza archaeological ticket.

• Visit at sunrise or late afternoon for the warm light that sculpts the Sphinx and the Dream Stele's hieroglyphs.
• Bring binoculars - the stele sits low between the Sphinx's paws and the enclosure limits close-up access.
• Buy a combined Giza ticket that includes the Sphinx enclosure and the Pyramid of Khafre area to avoid separate lines.