Born Passage Sphinx - Palma, Mallorca, Spain
Posted by: 
arby101ca
N 39° 34.164 E 002° 38.795
31S E 469643 N 4380026
Sphinx guard Born Passage in Palma Mallorca. There are actually four sphixes, a pair at each end of Born Passage. I have a GPS position and photos for only one at the south east end.
Waymark Code: WMF09X
Location: Islas Baleares, Spain
Date Posted: 08/01/2012
Views: 24
Born Passage (Passeig Des Born) is a important street leading from the harbour and the cathedral to the downtown core. Stately houses built by nobles line the street. These are now occupied by fashionable shops. Two pairs of sphinx guard the entrances to the passage.
The sphinx is the classic form, a lion's body with a human head. It is a woman's head as the sphinx has breasts where a human would. The sphinxes were carved in 1833, at the same time as the turtle fountain at the north end. At that time the passage was dedicated to Princess Isabel and called Salón de la Princesa. The name was changed later to Passeig Des Born
Born Passage was originally a watercourse, a stream running through the old city. Normally the streambed was dry but during heavy rains, flash floods were a problem. In 1403 a flash flood killed many people and destroyed property. The watercourse was diverted to a new channel dug on the west side of the old city. The original watercourse was filled in and became a wide passage through the city. It was used for jousting matches among other things. Born is from an old Catalan word for joust.
Statue Name: Mallorcan Sphinx
Style: Egyptian
Medium: Stone, likely a fine sandstone
Head Type: Woman
Head Namesake: Perhaps Princess Isabel
Website: [Web Link]
Street Address:
Passeig Des Born
Palma, Mallorca
Specify Other Head: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:Post a picture of your GPS (time stamp), and maybe another of the statue.
Please update any changes in the status of the statue or it's surroundings.