Modern dissenting hypotheses
Who did Dobrev say the Sphinx is designed to look like?
Great Sphinx of Giza
Great Sphinx of Giza Elena Gilbert Old Kingdom of Egypt Bogdan Dobrev Sphinx chersis
Great_Sphinx_of_Giza-Modern_dissenting_hypotheses Elena_Gilbert-Casting_and_portrayal Old_Kingdom_of_Egypt-Fourth_Dynasty Bogdan_Dobrev-Abstract Sphinx_chersis-Abstract
Rainer Stadelmann, former director of the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo, examined the distinct iconography of the "nemes" (headdress) and the now-detached beard of the Sphinx and concluded that the style is more indicative of the Pharaoh Khufu (2589–2566 BC), builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza and Khafra's father. He supports this by suggesting that Khafra's Causeway was built to conform to a pre-existing structure, which, he concludes, given its location, could only have been the Sphinx. Colin Reader, an English geologist who independently conducted a more recent survey of the enclosure, agrees that the various quarries on the site have been excavated around the Causeway. Because these quarries are known to have been used by Khufu, Reader concludes that the Causeway (and the temples on either end thereof) must predate Khufu, thereby casting doubt on the conventional Egyptian chronology. In 2004, Vassil Dobrev of the Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale in Cairo announced that he had uncovered new evidence that the Great Sphinx may have been the work of the little-known Pharaoh Djedefre (2528–2520 BC), Khafra's half brother and a son of Khufu. Dobrev suggests that Djedefre built the Sphinx in the image of his father Khufu, identifying him with the sun god Ra in order to restore respect for their dynasty. Dobrev also notes, like Stadelmann and others, that the causeway connecting Khafre's pyramid to the temples was built around the Sphinx suggesting it was already in existence at the time.
On March 9, 2009, it was announced that Bulgarian-born Canadian actress Nina Dobrev, known for her portrayal of on "", had joined the cast of "The Vampire Diaries" as Elena. She was the second cast member to be announced following Steven R. McQueen, who plays Elena's brother Jeremy Gilbert. Steve West Cinema Blend said "The vampires’ battle over Elena will wreak havoc on the entire town, which sounds like someone is trying to make this more appealing than it actually will be". Executive producer Kevin Williamson recalled Dobrev auditioning while having the flu, which he described as the "worst audition ever", and they "didn't even look at her a second time". Dobrev went back home to Canada, miserable. Still wanting the part, she submitted a videotape audition, which allowed her to win the part. Dobrev said that after reading the script, she was drawn to Elena because she was "this average girl who was damaged in many ways". Initially, she believed that she would be playing the "bad girl" Elena from the books, but the show wanted to go in a different direction for the character. After researching, Dobrev discovered she would also play Elena's 534-year old vampire doppelganger Katherine Pierce whose characteristics are the "complete opposite". Dobrev described this as "one of the rarest, coolest opportunities in television, to play two people on the same medium". She had confessed that she enjoys playing Katherine more than Elena. Dobrev stated that she changes her appearance to distinguish Elena from her doppelganger, Katherine; "Changing my hair helps me transform," she told "Glamour". Additionally, she said "I think I have one of the coolest characters on the show — I get to play two completely different people on opposite sides of the spectrum and I just have so much fun doing it". Dobrev felt that her biggest challenge on "The Vampire Diaries" was distinguishing Katherine and Elena, and found it "interesting" to create a whole new character. In the novels, Katherine originated from Germany. However, in the television series, she is born in Bulgaria, as Dobrev was born there and can speak the language. Dobrev said "The writers heard me speaking Bulgarian to my mom on the phone while I was on set one day. One thing led to the other and voila". 
The Old Kingdom and its royal power reached a zenith under the Fourth Dynasty (2613–2494 BC), which began with Sneferu (2613–2589 BC). Using more stones than any other pharaoh, he built three pyramids: a now collapsed pyramid in Meidum, the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur, and the Red Pyramid, at North Dahshur. However, the full development of the pyramid style of building was reached not at Saqqara, but during the building of the "great pyramids" at Giza. Sneferu was succeeded by his son, Khufu (2589–2566 BC) who built the Great Pyramid of Giza. After Khufu's death his sons Djedefra (2528–2520 BC) and Khafra (2520–2494 BC) may have quarreled. The latter built the second pyramid and (in traditional thinking) the Sphinx in Giza. Recent reexamination of evidence has led Egyptologist Vassil Dobrev to propose that the Sphinx has been built by Djedefra as a monument to his father Khufu. Alternatively, the Sphinx has been proposed to be the work of Khafra and Khufu himself. There were military expeditions into Canaan and Nubia, with Egyptian influence reaching up the Nile into what is today the Sudan. The later kings of the Fourth Dynasty were king Menkaure (2494–2472 BC), who built the smallest pyramid in Giza, Shepseskaf (2472–2467 BC) and, perhaps, Djedefptah (2486–2484 BC). 
Bogdan Dobrev (born 29 July 1957) is a Bulgarian former rower who competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics. 
The Great Ash Sphinx or Northern Ash Sphinx ("Sphinx chersis") is a moth that belongs to the family Sphingidae. 