Cultural historical era sphinx pyramid tutankhamun hieroglyph. Nobody knows who built the Sphinx. The mystery of the origin of the Sphinx

Each civilization has its own symbols, which are considered integral parts of the people, their culture and history. Sphinx ancient egypt- an immortal proof of the power, strength and greatness of the country, a silent reminder of the divine origin of its rulers, who have sunk into centuries, but left an image on earth eternal life. The national symbol of Egypt is considered one of the greatest architectural monuments past, which still inspires involuntary fear with its impressiveness, a halo of secrets, mystical legends and centuries of history.

Monument in numbers

The Egyptian Sphinx is known to everyone and every inhabitant on earth. The monument is carved from a monolithic rock, has the body of a lion and the head of a man (according to some sources - a pharaoh). The length of the statue is 73 m, height - 20 m. The symbol of the power of royalty is located on the Giza plateau. west coast the Nile River and is surrounded by a wide and fairly deep moat. The thoughtful gaze of the Sphinx is directed to the east, towards that point in the heavens where the Sun rises. The monument has been covered with sand many times and has been restored more than once. The statue was completely cleared of sand only in 1925, striking the imagination of the inhabitants of the planet with its scale and size.

History of the sculpture: facts against legends

In Egypt, the Sphinx is considered the most mysterious and mystical monument. His story over the years has been of great interest and Special attention historians, writers, directors and researchers. Everyone who has had a chance to touch the eternity that the statue represents offers their own version of its origin. locals they call the stone landmark the "father of horror" due to the fact that the Sphinx is the keeper of many mysterious legends and a favorite place for tourists - lovers of mysteries and fantasy. According to researchers, the history of the Sphinx has more than 13 centuries. Presumably, it was built in order to record the astronomical phenomenon - the reunion of the three planets.

origin myth

Until now, there is no reliable information about what this statue symbolizes, why it was built and when. The lack of history is replaced by legends that are passed from mouth to mouth and told to tourists. The fact that the Sphinx is the oldest and largest monument in Egypt gives rise to mysterious and ridiculous stories about it. There is an assumption that the statue guards the tombstones of the greatest pharaohs - the pyramids of Cheops, Mykerin and Khafre. Another legend says that stone sculpture symbolizes the personality of Pharaoh Khafre, the third - that it is a statue of the god Horus (god of heaven, half-man, half-falcon), watching the ascent of his father - the Sun God Ra.

legends

In ancient Greek mythology The Sphinx is referred to as an ugly monster. According to the Greeks, the legends of Ancient Egypt about this monster sound like this: a creature with a lion's body and a human head gave birth to Echidna and Typhon (a half-snake woman and a giant with a hundred dragon heads). It had the face and chest of a woman, the body of a lion and the wings of a bird. The monster lived not far from Thebes, lay in wait for people and asked them a strange question: “Which living being moves on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?” None of the wanderers trembling with fear could give the Sphinx an intelligible answer. After which the monster sentenced them to death. However, the day came when the wise Oedipus was able to solve his riddle. “This is a man in childhood, maturity and old age,” he replied. After that, the crushed monster rushed from the top of the mountain and crashed against the rocks.

According to the second version of the legend, in Egypt the Sphinx was once God. One day, the heavenly ruler fell into an insidious trap of the sands, called the "cell of oblivion", and fell asleep in it with eternal sleep.

Real facts

Despite the mysterious undertones of the legends, real story no less mystical and mysterious. According to the initial opinion of scientists, the Sphinx was built at the same time as the pyramids. However, in the ancient papyri, from which information about the building of the pyramids was obtained, there is not a single mention of a stone statue. The names of architects and builders who created grandiose tombs for the pharaohs are known, but the name of the person who gave the world the Egyptian Sphinx is still unknown.

True, a few centuries after the creation of the pyramids, the first facts about the statue appear. The Egyptians call her "shepes ankh" - "a living image." Scientists could not give the world any more information and scientific explanation of these words.

But at the same time, the cult image of the mysterious Sphinx - a winged monster maiden - is mentioned in Greek mythology, numerous fairy tales and legends. The hero of these tales, depending on the author, periodically changes his appearance, appearing in some versions as a half-man, half-lion, and in others as a winged lioness.

The story of the Sphinx

Another puzzle for scientists was the chronicle of Herodotus, who in 445 BC. described in great detail the process of building the pyramids. He told the world interesting stories about how the structures were erected, for how long and how many slaves were involved in their construction. The narration of the "father of history" touched even such nuances as the food of the slaves. But, oddly enough, Herodotus never mentioned the stone Sphinx in his work. In none of the subsequent records, the fact of the erection of the monument was also found.

He helped scientists shed light on the work of the Roman writer Pliny the Elder "Natural History". In his notes, he talks about the next cleansing of the monument from sand. Based on this, it becomes clear why Herodotus did not leave the description of the Sphinx to the world - the monument at that time was buried under a layer of sand drifts. So how many times has he been trapped in the sand?

The first "restoration"

Judging by the inscription left on the stone stele between the monster's paws, Pharaoh Thutmose I spent a year freeing the monument. Ancient writings tell that, being a prince, Thutmose fell asleep at the foot of the Sphinx and had a dream in which the god Harmakis appeared to him. He predicted the prince's ascension to the throne of Egypt and ordered the statue to be released from the sand trap. After some time, Thutmose successfully became pharaoh and remembered the promise given to the deity. He ordered not only to dig up the giant, but also to restore it. Thus, the first revival of the legend of Egypt took place in the 15th century. BC. That's when the world knew about grand structure and a unique cult monument of Egypt.

It is known for certain that after the revival of the Sphinx by Pharaoh Thutmose, it was once again dug up during the reign of the Ptolemaic dynasty, under the Roman emperors who captured Ancient Egypt, and the Arab rulers. In our time, it was again freed from the sands in 1925. Until now, the statue has to be cleaned after sandstorms, as it is an important tourist attraction.

Why is the monument missing a nose?

Despite the antiquity of the sculpture, it has practically survived in its original form, embodying the Sphinx. Egypt (the photo of the monument is presented above) managed to maintain its architectural masterpiece but failed to protect him from the barbarism of the people. The statue does not currently have a nose. Scientists suggest that one of the pharaohs, for reasons unknown to science, ordered to beat off the nose of the statue. According to other sources, the monument was damaged by Napoleon's army, firing a cannon at his face. The British, on the other hand, chopped off the beard of the monster and sent it to their museum.

However, in the later records of the historian Al-Maqrizi from 1378, it is said that the stone statue no longer had a nose. According to him, one of the Arabs, wanting to atone for religious sins (the Koran forbade the depiction of human faces), chipped off the giant's nose. In response to such a crime and abuse of the Sphinx, the sands began to take revenge on people, advancing on the lands of Giza.

As a result, scientists came to the conclusion that in Egypt, the Sphinx lost its nose as a result of strong winds and floods. Although this assumption has not yet found real confirmation.

The Stunning Secrets of the Sphinx

In 1988, as a result of exposure to caustic factory smoke, a decent part of a stone block (350 kg) broke off from the monument. UNESCO, concerned appearance and the state of tourism and cultural object, resumed repairs, thereby paving the way for new research. As a result of a thorough study of the stone blocks of the pyramid of Cheops and the Sphinx by Japanese archaeologists, a hypothesis was put forward that the monument was built much earlier than the great tomb of the pharaoh. The conclusion was a stunning discovery for historians, who assumed that the pyramid, the Sphinx, and other funerary structures were contemporaries. The second, no less surprising discovery was a long narrow tunnel discovered under the left paw of a predator, connected to the pyramid of Cheops.

After Japanese archaeologists, hydrologists took up the most ancient monument. They found traces of erosion on his body from a large water stream that moved from north to south. After a series of studies, hydrologists came to the conclusion that the stone lion was a silent witness to the flood of the Nile - a biblical catastrophe that occurred about 8-12 thousand years ago. American researcher John Anthony West explained the traces of water erosion on the body of a lion and their absence on the head as evidence that the Sphinx existed back in time ice age and dates from any period up to 15 thousand years BC. e. According to French archaeologists, the history of Ancient Egypt can boast of the oldest monument that existed even at the time of the death of Atlantis.

Thus, the stone statue tells us about the existence of the greatest civilization, which managed to erect such a majestic structure, which became the immortal image of the Past.

The admiration of the ancient Egyptians before the Sphinx

The pharaohs of Egypt regularly made pilgrimages to the foot of the giant, which symbolized the great past of their country. They made sacrifices on the altar, which was between his paws, burned incense, receiving from the giant a silent blessing on the kingdom and throne. The Sphinx was for them not only the incarnation of the sun god, but also a sacred image that gave them hereditary and legitimate power from their ancestors. He personified powerful Egypt, the history of the country was reflected in its majestic form, embodying each image of the new pharaoh and turning modernity into a component of eternity. Ancient writings glorified the Sphinx as a great creator god. His image reunited the past, present and future.

Astronomical explanation of the stone statue

By official version The Sphinx would have been built in 2500 BC. e. by order of Pharaoh Khafre during the reign of the Fourth Ruling Dynasty of Pharaohs. A huge lion is located among other majestic structures on the stone plateau of Giza - the three pyramids.

Astronomical studies have shown that the location of the statue was chosen not by blind intuition, but in accordance with the intersection point of the path. heavenly bodies. It served as the equatorial point, indicating the exact location on the horizon of the place of sunrise on the day of the vernal equinox. According to astronomers, the Sphinx was built 10.5 thousand years ago.

It is noteworthy that the pyramids of Giza are located on the earth in exactly the same order as the three stars in the sky in that year. According to legend, the Sphinx and the pyramids fixed the position of the stars, the astronomical time, which was called the first. Since Orion was the heavenly personification of the ruler at that time, man-made structures were built to depict the stars of his belt in order to perpetuate and fix the time of his power.

The Great Sphinx as a tourist attraction

Currently, a giant lion with a human head attracts millions of tourists who are eager to see the legendary stone sculpture shrouded in the darkness of centuries of history and many mystical legends. The interest of all mankind in it is due to the fact that the secret of the creation of the statue remained undisclosed, buried under the sands. It is hard to imagine how many secrets the Sphinx keeps in itself. Egypt (a photo of the monument and the pyramids can be seen on any travel portal) can be proud of his great history, outstanding people, grandiose monuments, the truth about which their creators took with them to the kingdom of Anubis - the god of death.

Great and impressive is the huge stone Sphinx, whose history has remained unsolved and full of secrets. Still, the calm gaze of the statue is directed into the distance, and its appearance is still imperturbable. How many centuries has he been a silent witness of human suffering, the vanity of rulers, the sorrows and misfortunes that befell the Egyptian land? How many secrets does the Great Sphinx keep in itself? Unfortunately, all these questions have not been answered for many years.

The Sphinx of Giza is one of the oldest, largest and most mysterious monuments ever created by man. Disputes about its origin are still going on. We've rounded up 10 little-known facts about the majestic monument in the Sahara desert.

1. The Great Sphinx of Giza is not a Sphinx

Experts say that the Egyptian sphinx cannot be called a traditional image of the sphinx. In classical Greek mythology, the sphinx was described as having the body of a lion, the head of a woman, and the wings of a bird. In Giza, there is actually a sculpture of an androsphinx, since it has no wings.

2. Initially, the sculpture had several other names

The ancient Egyptians did not originally call this giant creature the "Great Sphinx". In the text on the Dream Stele, dated to about 1400 BC, the Sphinx is referred to as the "Statue of the great Khepri". When the future pharaoh Thutmose IV was sleeping next to her, he had a dream in which the god Khepri-Ra-Atum came to him and asked him to free the statue from the sand, and in return promised that Thutmose would become the ruler of all Egypt. Thutmose IV dug up a statue that had been covered with sand over the centuries, which after that became known as Horem-Akhet, which translates as "Mountains on the horizon." The medieval Egyptians called the Sphinx "balhib" and "bilhou".

3. No one knows who built the Sphinx

Even today, people do not know the exact age of this statue, and modern archaeologists argue about who could have created it. The most popular theory is that the Sphinx originated during the reign of Khafre (fourth dynasty ancient kingdom), i.e. The age of the statue dates back to around 2500 BC.

This pharaoh is credited with the creation of the pyramid of Khafre, as well as the Giza necropolis and a number of ritual temples. The proximity of these structures to the Sphinx prompted a number of archaeologists to believe that it was Khafre who ordered the construction of a majestic monument with his own face.

Other scholars believe that the statue is much older than the pyramid. They argue that the statue's face and head bear evidence of apparent water damage and put forward the theory that the Great Sphinx already existed during the era when the region faced extensive flooding (6th millennium BC).

4. Whoever built the Sphinx ran away from it headlong after it was built.

American archaeologist Mark Lehner and Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass have discovered large stone blocks, toolkits and even fossilized dinners under a layer of sand. This clearly indicates that the workers were in such a hurry to get away that they did not even take their tools with them.

5The Laborers Who Built The Statue Were Fed Well

Most scholars think that the people who built the Sphinx were slaves. However, their diet suggests something completely different. As a result of excavations led by Mark Lehner, it was found that the workers regularly dined on beef, lamb and goat meat.

6 The Sphinx Was Once Covered In Paint

Although now the Sphinx is grey-sandy in color, it was once completely covered in bright paint. Remains of red paint can still be found on the face of the statue, and there are traces of blue and yellow paint on the body of the Sphinx.

7. The sculpture was buried under the sand for a long time.

Great Sphinx Giza has been victimized several times quicksand the Egyptian desert during its long existence. The first known restoration of the Sphinx, almost completely buried under the sand, occurred shortly before the 14th century BC, thanks to Thutmose IV, who shortly thereafter became Egyptian pharaoh. Three thousand years later, the statue was again buried under the sands. Up until the 19th century, the statue's front legs were deep below the desert surface. The entire Sphinx was excavated in the 1920s.

8 The Sphinx Lost Its Headdress In The 1920s

During the latest restoration, the Great Sphinx fell off part of its famous headdress, and the head and neck were seriously injured. The Egyptian government hired a team of engineers to restore the statue in 1931. But during this restoration, soft limestone was used, and in 1988 a 320-kilogram part of the shoulder fell off, nearly killing a German reporter. After that, the Egyptian government again began restoration work.

9. After the construction of the Sphinx, there was a cult that honored it for a long time.

Thanks to the mystical vision of Thutmose IV, who became pharaoh after he unearthed giant statue, in the 14th century BC, a whole cult of worship of the Sphinx arose. The pharaohs ruling during the New Kingdom even built new temples from which the Great Sphinx could be seen and worshipped.

10. The Egyptian sphinx is much kinder than the Greek

The Sphinx's modern reputation as a violent creature comes from Greek mythology, not Egyptian mythology. In Greek myths, the Sphinx is mentioned in connection with a meeting with Oedipus, to whom he asked a supposedly unsolvable riddle. In ancient Egyptian culture, the Sphinx was considered more benevolent.

11. Napoleon is not to blame for the fact that the Sphinx has no nose

The mystery of the absence of a nose on the Great Sphinx has given rise to all sorts of myths and theories. One of the most common legends says that Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the nose of the statue to be beaten off in a fit of pride. However, early sketches of the Sphinx show that the statue lost its nose even before the birth of the French emperor.

12 The Sphinx Was Once Bearded

Today, the remnants of the Great Sphinx's beard, which were removed from the statue due to severe erosion, are kept in the British Museum and in the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, established in Cairo in 1858. However, the French archaeologist Vasil Dobrev claims that the bearded statue was not from the very beginning, but the beard was added later. Dobrev argues for his hypothesis that removing the beard, if it had been a component of the statue from the start, would have damaged the statue's chin.

13. The Great Sphinx is the oldest statue, but not the oldest sphinx

The Great Sphinx of Giza is considered the oldest monumental sculpture in human history. If we assume that the statue dates from the reign of Khafre, the smaller sphinxes depicting his half-brother Djedefre and sister Netefer II are older.

14. Sphinx - the largest statue

Sphinx, which is 72 meters long and 20 meters high, is considered the largest monolithic statue on the planet.

15. There are several astronomical theories associated with the Sphinx.

The mystery of the Great Sphinx of Giza has given rise to a number of theories about the ancient Egyptians' supernatural understanding of the cosmos. Some scientists, such as Lehner, believe that the Sphinx with the Pyramids of Giza is a gigantic machine for capturing and processing solar energy. Another theory notes the coincidence of the Sphinx, the pyramids and the Nile River with the stars of the constellations Leo and Orion.

Each civilization had its own sacred symbols that brought something special to culture and history. The Egyptian guardian of the tombs, the sphinx, is proof of the greatest strength of the country and people, their power. This is a monumental reminder of the divine rulers, who gave the world an image of eternal life. The majestic guardian of the desert inspires fear in people to this day: its origin and existence is shrouded in mystery, mystical legends and milestones in history.

Description of the sphinx

The Sphinx is the majestic tireless guardian of the Egyptian tombs. At his post, he had to see many - they all received a riddle from him. Those who found a solution moved on, and those who did not have an answer - great grief awaited.

Riddle of the Sphinx: “Tell me, who walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening? None of all the creatures living on earth changes like him. When he walks on four legs, then he has less strength and moves more slowly than at other times?

There are several options for the origin of this mysterious creature. Each of the versions was born in different parts of the world.

Egyptian guards

The symbol of the greatness of the people - a statue erected in Giza, on the left bank of the Nile River - a sphinx creature with the head of one of the pharaohs - Khafre - and the massive body of a lion. The Egyptian guard is not just a figure, it is a symbol. The body of a lion contains the incommensurable strength of a mythical animal, and the upper part speaks of a sharp mind and incredible memory.

In Egyptian mythology, creatures with the head of a ram or a falcon are mentioned. These are also guardian sphinxes. They are installed at the entrance to the temple to the glory of the gods Horus and Amon. In Egyptology, this creature has varieties depending on the type of head, the presence of functional elements, gender.

Historians claim that the true purpose of the Egyptian sphinxes is to protect the treasures and the body of the deceased pharaoh. Sometimes they were installed at the entrance to temples to scare away thieves. Only meager descriptions of the life of this mythical creature have come down to us. We can only guess what role he was assigned in the life of the ancient Egyptians.

Predator from ancient Greece

Egyptian mythological writings have not survived, but have survived to this day Greek legends. Some researchers suggest that the Greeks borrowed the image of a mysterious creature from the Egyptians, but the right to create the name belongs to the inhabitants of Hellas. There are those who think quite differently: Greece is the birthplace of the Sphinx, and Egypt borrowed it and modified it for themselves.

Both creatures in different mythological texts have similarities only in bodies, their heads are different. The Egyptian sphinx is a male, the Greek is depicted as a woman. She has a bull tail and big wings.

Opinions on the origin of the Greek Sphinx vary:

1. Some scriptures say that the predator is the child of the union of Typhon and Echidna.
2. Others claim that this is the daughter of Orff and Chimera.

The character, according to legend, was sent to King Lai as a punishment for stealing the son of King Pelop and taking him away with him. The Sphinx guarded the road at the entrance to the city and she asked each wanderer a riddle. If the answer was wrong, she ate the person. The predator received the only solution to the riddle from Oedipus. The proud creature could not stand the defeat and threw himself on the rocks, this completes his life path in the ancient Greek writings.

Hero of myths in modern texts

The vigilant guard flashed on the pages of works more than once and everywhere he was associated with power and mysticism. To pass through the road guarded by the sphinx, you can only correctly answer the riddle. Joanne Rowling used this image in the book "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" - these are vigilant servants to whom magicians trusted their magical values.

For some science fiction writers, the sphinx is a monster, with some subspecies of genetic mutations.

Sphinx statue at Giza

The monument with the face of Khafre over the tomb of the pharaoh is located on the left bank of the Nile, is part of the whole complex of architecture of the plateau of Ancient Egypt, a few kilometers from the main pyramid in the ensemble - Cheops.

The length of the statue is about 73 m, height 20. It can be seen even from Cairo, although it is located 30 km from Giza.

The Egyptian Sphinx Monument is one of the most popular tourist places, so it is easy to get to the complex. It is easy to take a taxi to the plateau, the trip from the center will take no more than half an hour. The cost is not more than 30 dollars. If you need to save money and have a lot of time, the bus will do. Some hotels provide a free shuttle service to the Great Sphinx Plateau.

The history of the origin of the Egyptian sphinx

In scientific texts there is no exact description of why and who erected this statue, only guesses. There is evidence that the construction is 4517 years old. Its creation dates back to 2500 BC. e. The architect is supposedly called Pharaoh Khafre. The material of which the Sphinx is composed coincides with the creator's pyramid. The blocks are made of fired clay.

Researchers from Germany suggested that the statue was erected in 7000 BC. e. The hypothesis was put forward on the basis of test samples of the material and erosional changes in clay blocks.

Egyptologists from France claim that the Sphinx statue has gone through several restorations.

purpose

The ancient name of the sphinx statue is “the rising sun”, the inhabitants of ancient Egypt thought that it was a building to the glory of the greatness of the Nile. Many civilizations saw in the sculpture a divine principle and a reference to the image of the Sun God - Ra.

According to some assumptions of researchers, the sphinx is an assistant for the pharaohs in the afterlife and the guard of the tombs from ruin. A composite image associated with several seasons at once: the wings are responsible for autumn, the paws indicate summer, the body is spring, and the head corresponds to winter.

Secrets of the Egyptian Sphinx Statue

For several millennia, Egyptologists cannot agree, they argue about the origin of such a large monument and its true purpose. The Sphinx is fraught with many mysteries, to find the answer to which is not yet possible.

Is there a hall of chronicles

Edgar Cayce, an American architect, was the first to claim that there were underground passages under the statue of the Sphinx. His statement was also confirmed by Japanese researchers who, using X-rays, found a rectangular chamber 5 m long under the lion's left paw. Hypothesis of Edgar Cayce says: the Atlanteans decided to perpetuate the traces of their presence on earth in a special "hall of chronicles."

Archaeologists put forward their theory. In 1980, when drilling 15 m deep, the presence of Aswan granite and traces of the memorial room was proved. In this place of the country there are no deposits of this mineral. It was brought there on purpose and the “hall of chronicles” was inlaid with it.

Where did the Sphinx go?

The ancient Greek philosopher and historian Herodotus, traveling through Egypt, made notes. Upon returning home, he made accurate map the location of the pyramids in the complex, indicating the age according to eyewitnesses and the exact number of sculptures. In his chronicles, he included the number of slaves involved and even detailed the food they were served.

Surprisingly, there is no mention of a great sphinx in his documents. Egyptologists suggest that during the explorations of Herodotus, the statue was completely buried under the sands. This happened to the sphinx several times: in two centuries it was dug up at least 3 times. In 1925, the statue was completely cleared of sand.

Why is he facing east

An interesting fact: on the chest of a large Egyptian sphinx there is an inscription "I look at your fuss." He is indeed majestic and mysterious, wise and wary. There was a barely perceptible smirk on his lips. It seems to many that the monument cannot change the fate of a person in any way, but the facts say otherwise.

One photographer allowed himself too much: he climbed onto the statue for spectacular photos, but felt a push in the back and fell. When he woke up, he did not see the pictures on the camera, despite the fact that all this time he was alone, and the camera was film.

The mystical guardian showed his abilities more than once, so the inhabitants of Egypt are sure that the statue keeps their peace and watches the Sunrise.

Where is the nose and beard of the sphinx

There are several suggestions why the sphinx lacks a nose and beard:

1. During the great Egyptian campaign of Bonaparte, they were repulsed by artillery shells. The images of the Egyptian Sphinx made earlier than this event refute this theory - parts are already missing on them.
2. The second theory claims that in the 14th century Islamic extremists tried to mutilate it, obsessed with the idea of ​​ridding the inhabitants of the idol. The vandals were caught and publicly executed right next to the statue.
3. The third theory is based on erosional changes in sculpture due to the effects of wind and water. This option is accepted by researchers from Japan and France.

Restoration

Researchers have repeatedly made attempts to restore the statue of the great Egyptian sphinx and completely clear it of sand. Ramses II is the first to excavate a folk symbol. Then the restoration was carried out by Italian Egyptologists in 1817 and 1925. In 2014, the statue was closed for cleaning and restoration for several months.

Some Fascinating Facts

In different historical documents there are records that help to better understand the life of the people of Ancient Egypt and get ground for reflection on the origin of the great sphinx:

1. Excavations of the plateau around the statue revealed that the builders of this gigantic monument left the place of work at the end of the construction quickly. There are remnants of mercenaries' belongings, tools and household items everywhere.
2. During the construction of the statue of the Sphinx, a high salary was paid - this is evidenced by the excavations of M. Lehner. He managed to calculate the approximate menu of the worker.
3. The statue was multicolored. Wind, water and sand tried to destroy the sphinx and the pyramids on the plateau, mercilessly affecting them. But despite this, traces of yellow and blue paint remained in some places on his chest and head.
4. The first mention of the Sphinx belongs to ancient Greek writings. In the epic of Hellas, this is a female creature, cruel and sad when the Egyptians transformed it - the statue has a male face with an almost neutral expression.
5. This is an androsphinx - he has no wings and he is a man.

Despite the past millennia, the sphinx is still majestic and monumental, full of mysteries and shrouded in myths. He fixes his gaze into the distance and calmly watches the sunrise. Why the Egyptians made this mythical creature their main symbol is a mystery of antiquity that cannot be solved. We are left with only speculation.

Great Sphinx on west bank The Nile at Giza is the oldest monumental sculpture on Earth. Carved from a monolithic limestone rock in the form of a colossal sphinx - a lion lying on the sand, whose face, as has long been considered to be, is given a portrait resemblance to Pharaoh Khafre (c. 2575-2465 BC), whose funerary pyramid is located nearby. The length of the statue is 72 meters, the height is 20 meters; between the front paws there was once a small sanctuary.

Purpose and name

Statue of the Nile and rising sun. Almost all ancient Eastern civilizations saw the lion as a symbol of the solar deity. Since ancient times, the pharaoh has been depicted as a lion, exterminating his enemies. In the light of these data, it is permissible to consider the sphinx as the guardian of the eternal rest of the pharaohs buried around it. The surrounding temples were originally dedicated solar god Ra, and only in the period of the New Kingdom, the sculpture began to be identified with Horus (more precisely, with Horemakhet), as a result of which Amenhotep II dedicated a special temple to him to the northeast of the sphinx.

The ancient Egyptian name for the Great Sphinx remains unknown. The word "sphinx" is Greek and literally means "strangler", which is a reference to the famous myth of the riddle of the Sphinx. The opinion that this word came to Greece from ancient Egyptian is unfounded.

Time of creation

The circumstances and exact time of the construction of the Sphinx are still a mystery. The judgment of ancient authors accepted in modern literature that its builder was Khafre (Khafra) is confirmed only by the fact that during the construction of the temple, stone blocks of the same size were used for the statue as in the construction of the neighboring pyramid. In addition, not far from the Sphinx, archaeologists discovered a diorite image of Khafre in the sand.

There are other opinions regarding the customer of the sphinx. An inventory stele, discovered at Giza by Mariet in 1857 and most likely created shortly before the Persian conquest, claims that Khafre's father, Pharaoh Cheops (Khufu), dug up and cleaned the dilapidated statue from the sand. Most scholars tend to dismiss this evidence as late and unreliable; only Gaston Maspero spoke out for the reliability of the information given in the stele among the researchers of the old school. A prominent modern Egyptologist, Rainer Stadelmann, is of the opinion that, in his artistic features the statue should be attributed to the building activity of Khufu. In 2004, French scholar Vasil Dobrev suggested that the statue depicts Khufu and was erected by his son Djedefra.

Even more confusing is the fact that the statue's face has Negroid features, which is at odds with other surviving images of Khafre and his relatives. Forensic experts, who used a computer to compare the face of the Sphinx with the signed statues of Khafre, came to the conclusion that they cannot represent the same person.

Since the 1950s in popular literature, the dating of the Sphinx to the period of the Old Kingdom began to be questioned. It has been argued that the lower part of the Sphinx is a classic example of erosion caused by the prolonged exposure of a stone to water. Last time a corresponding level of precipitation was observed in Egypt at the turn of the 4th and 3rd millennia, which, according to supporters of this theory, indicates the creation of the statue in the Predynastic period or even earlier. IN scientific literature features of sculpture erosion are explained by other reasons - secondary fracturing, acid rain, low quality limestone.

The relatively small size of the head prompted Boston geologist Robert Schoch to suggest that the statue originally had the face of a lion, from which one of the pharaohs ordered a mysteriously smiling human face to be carved in his own image and likeness. This hypothesis has not been accepted by scientific environment, as well as the assumption of Graham Hancock about the correlation of the three pyramids with the stars in the constellation of Orion, which was allegedly observed in the 11th millennium BC. e. (See en:Orion Correlation Theory).

Descriptions

The Roman historian Pliny described the Great Sphinx as a monster. Medieval Arabs in the Thousand and One Nights and other texts also called him the "father of horror."

In modern times, sculpture was first depicted by the Italian architect Sebastiano Serlio, who published his work on monuments in 1546 in Antwerp. ancient architecture- his sphinx with a smiling female face was equipped with a bust and a hairstyle corresponding to that time.

State

During its existence, the Sphinx was buried up to its shoulders in the sand. Attempts to dig it out were already made in antiquity by Thutmose IV and Ramses II. The first was able to free only the front paws from the sand, between which he ordered to place a granite stele with the following inscription:

The king's son Thutmose, upon his arrival, sat down in the shadow of this mighty deity during his midday walk. When Ra reached the top [of the sky], he was overwhelmed by sleep, and he saw how this great god addressed him with a speech, as if a father were saying to his son: “Look at me, take a closer look, O my son Thutmose, I am your father Harmachis, and I will give you dominion over my land and power over all living ... Behold my true form in order to protect my flawless limbs. The sand of the desert on which I lie has covered me. Save me and fulfill whatever is in my heart."

Also, the Sphinx was strengthened with the help of additional blocks by the ancient Greeks and Romans, in particular the paws and walls of the niche.

The Italians managed to clear the entire chest of the Sphinx from sand in 1817, and it was completely freed from millennia-old sand drifts in 1925.

In 2014, the sphinx underwent a four-month restoration, after which it became available to tourists.

losses

Sphinx face in profile.

The statue is missing a nose 1.5 meters wide. Its absence can be explained both by the natural destruction of the stone (centuries-old action of wind and moisture), and by human influence. There is a legend that this detail of the statue was knocked off by a cannonball during the Napoleonic battle with the Turks at the Pyramids (1798); according to other versions, the place of Napoleon is occupied by the British or the Mamelukes. The falsity of this opinion is indicated by the drawings of the Danish traveler Norden, who saw a noseless sphinx already in 1737.

The medieval Cairo historian al-Makrizi wrote that in 1378, a Sufi fanatic, having caught the fellahs bringing gifts to the Sphinx in the hope of replenishing their harvest, was filled with anger and beat off the nose of the “idol”, for which he was torn to pieces by the crowd. From the story of al-Makrizi, it can be concluded that for the locals the Sphinx was a kind of talisman, the ruler of the Nile, on which, as they believed, the level of the flood of the great river and, accordingly, the fertility of their fields depended.

The Sphinx has survived to this day not only without a nose, but also without a false ceremonial beard, fragments of which can be seen in the British and Cairo museums. The timing of the appearance of the Sphinx's beard is controversial. Some authors attribute its installation to the New Kingdom. According to others, the beard was made along with the head, because the technical complexity of the high-altitude work on mounting the beard exceeded the capabilities of the builders of that time.

In works of art

• "The Prisoner of the Pharaohs" (1924) is a short story by Howard Lovecraft built on the assumption of a million-year-old Egyptian Sphinx, originally depicting a supposedly creepy monster. Under Pharaoh Khafre, the features of the monster were allegedly knocked off the face of the sphinx and replaced with those of the pharaoh.

Let's try to understand the purpose of its creation and the methods of its construction. Find out what they say scientific world about the age of the Sphinx. What does he hide inside and what role does he play in relation to the pyramids? We will weed out fiction and assumptions, leaving only scientifically confirmed facts.

Brief description of the Sphinx in Egypt

Sphinx and 50 jets

The Sphinx in Egypt is the most grandiose surviving sculpture of antiquity. The body length is 3 compartment cars(73.5 m), and the height is a 6-storey building (20 m). The bus is smaller than one front paw. And the weight of 50 jet airliners is equal to the weight of a giant.

The blocks that make up the paws were added during the New Kingdom period to restore the original appearance. The sacred cobra, nose and ritual beard - symbols of the power of the pharaohs - are absent. Fragments of the latter are exhibited in the British Museum.

Near the ear, remnants of the original dark red paint can be seen.

What can strange proportions say?

One of the main abnormalities of the figure is the disproportion of the head and torso. It appears that the upper part was remade several times by subsequent rulers. There are opinions that at first the head of the idol was either a ram or a falcon and later turned into a human form. Restorations and renovations over many thousands of years could reduce the head or enlarge the body.

Where is the Sphinx located?

The monument is located in the necropolis of Memphis next to the pyramidal structures of Khufu (Cheops), Khafre (Khefren) and Menkaura (Mitserin) about 10 km from Cairo, on the west bank of the Nile River on the Giza plateau.

God is the other way around or what does the giant symbolize

In ancient Egypt, the figure of the Lion personified the power of the pharaohs. In Abydos, the cemetery of the first Egyptian kings, archaeologists have found about 30 skeletons of adults who were under 20 years old, and ... the bones of lions. The gods of the ancient Egyptians were always depicted with a human body and an animal head, but here it is the other way around: a human head the size of a house on the body of a lion.

Maybe this suggests that the power and strength of the lion was combined with human wisdom and the ability to control this power? But to whom did this power and wisdom belong? Whose features are carved in stone?

Unraveling the secret of construction: interesting facts

The world's leading Egyptologist Mark Lehner spent 5 years next to the mysterious creature, exploring him, the materials and rock around. He made up detailed map statues and came to an unequivocal conclusion: the statue was carved from limestone, which lies at the base of the Giza plateau.

First, they hollowed out a trench in the form of a horseshoe, leaving a huge block in the center. And then the sculptors carved a monument out of it. Blocks weighing up to 100 tons for the construction of the walls of the temple in front of the Sphinx were taken from here.

But this is only part of the puzzle. The other is how exactly did they do it?

Together with Rick Brown, an expert on ancient tools, Mark reproduced the tools depicted in the drawings of the tombs over 4000 years old. These were copper chisels, a two-handed pestle and a hammer. Then, with these tools, they cut out a detail of the monument from the limestone block: the missing nose.

This experiment allowed us to calculate that the creation of a mysterious figure could work one hundred sculptors in three years. At the same time, they were accompanied by a whole army of workers who created tools, dragged the rock and did other necessary work.

Who broke the nose of the colossus?

When Napoleon arrived in Egypt in 1798, he saw mysterious monster already without a nose, as the drawings of the 18th century prove: the face was like this long before the arrival of the French. Although you can meet the opinion that the nose was recaptured by the French military.

There are other versions. For example, the shooting of Turkish (according to other sources - English) soldiers, whose target was the face of an idol, is called. Or there is a story that tells of a fanatical Sufi monk in the 8th century AD who mutilated a “blasphemous idol” with a chisel.

Indeed, there are traces of wedges driven into the bridge of the nose and near the nostril. The impression is that someone hammered them on purpose to break off the part.

Prophetic dream of the prince at the Sphinx

The monument was saved from complete destruction by the sands that covered it for millennia. Attempts to restore the colossus have been made since Thutmose IV. There is a legend how during the hunt, resting in the midday shade of the building, the son of the king fell asleep and had a dream. The giant deity promised him the crown of the Upper and Lower Realms and in return asked him to be released from the consuming desert. The Granite Dream Stele, set between the paws, keeps this story.

The prince not only dug up the deity, but also surrounded it with a high stone wall. At the end of 2010, Egyptian archaeologists unearthed sections of a brick wall that stretched 132 meters around the monument. Scientists believe that this is the work of Thutmose IV, who wants to protect the statue from drifts.

The Story of the Unfortunate Restoration of the Sphinx at Giza

Despite efforts, the structure was again filled up. In 1858 some of the sand was cleared by Auguste Mariette, founder of the Egyptian Antiquities Service. And in the period from 1925 to 1936. the French engineer Emile Baraise completed the clearing completely. Perhaps for the first time, the divine beast was exposed to the elements again.

It is also evident that the statue is being destroyed due to wind, humidity and exhaust gases from Cairo. Realizing this, the authorities are trying to preserve the ancient monument. In the last century, in 1950, a huge and costly restoration and conservation project was started.

But at the initial stage of work, instead of benefit, only additional damage was caused. The cement used for the renovation was later found to be incompatible with the limestone. For 6 years, more than 2000 limestone blocks were added to the structure, chemical treatment was carried out, but ... this did not bring a positive result.

How M. Lehner guessed who the Great Sphinx of Egypt represents

The tombs of the pharaohs change their shape and size over time. and appear. And the Great Sphinx is the only one.

A significant number of Egyptologists believe that he represents the pharaoh Khafre (Havra) from the fourth dynasty, because. a similar small stone silhouette with his face was found nearby. The dimensions of the blocks of the tomb of Khafre (circa 2540 BC) and the monster also coincide. Despite their claims, no one knows for sure when and by whom this statue was installed in Giza.

Mark Lehner found the answer to this question as well. He studied the structure of the Sphinx Temple, which is 9 meters away. On the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes, the sun at sunset connects the two sanctuaries of the temple and the pyramid of Khafre, in one line.

The religion of the ancient Egyptian kingdom was based on the worship of the sun. The locals worshiped the idol as the incarnation of the Sun God, calling it Hor-Em-Akhet. Comparing these facts, Mark determines the original purpose of the Sphinx and its identity: Khafre face, the son of Cheops, looks from the figure of a god who protects the pharaoh's journey to the afterlife, making it safe.

In 1996, a New York detective and identification expert revealed that the resemblance is more noticeable with Chefren's older brother Djedefre (or son according to other sources). The debate on this topic is still ongoing.

How old is the giant anyway? Writer vs Scientists

There is a lively debate going on over the dating of the monument. Writer John Anthony West was the first to notice footprints on the body of a lion. one erosion. On other structures of the plateau, wind or sand erosion is observed. He contacted Boston University geologist and assistant professor Robert M. Schoch, who, after reviewing the material, agreed with West's findings. In 1993, their joint work "The Secret of the Sphinx" was presented, which received an Emmy Award for Best Research and a nomination for Best Documentary.

Although today this area is arid, about 10,000 years ago the climate there was humid and rainy. West and Schoch concluded that the age of the Sphinx must be 7,000 to 10,000 years.

Scholars have dismissed Schoch's theory as grossly misguided, pointing out that the once-common, severe rainstorms in Egypt ceased before the appearance of the sculpture. But the question remains: Why was it that only this Giza structure showed signs of water damage?

Spiritual and supernatural interpretations about the purpose of the Sphinx

The famous English journalist Paul Brunton spent a lot of time traveling in Eastern countries, lived with monks and mystics, studied the history and religion of Ancient Egypt. He explored the royal tombs, met with famous fakirs and hypnotists.

His favorite symbol of the country, a mysterious giant, told him his secrets during a night spent in the Great Pyramid. The book "In Search of Mystical Egypt" tells how one day the secret of all things was revealed to him.

The American mystic and prophet Edgar Cayce is confident in the theory that can be read in his book on Atlantis. He pointed out that the secret knowledge of the Atlanteans was stored next to the Sphinx.

The writer Robert Bauval published an article in 1989 that the three pyramids at Giza formed a kind of three-dimensional "hologram" of the three stars of Orion's belt and the Milky Way relative to the Nile. He developed an elaborate theory that all the structures in the area, together with the ancient scriptures, constituted an astronomical map.

The most suitable position of the stars in the sky for this interpretation was in 10500 BC. e .. This date is, for obvious reasons, disputed by Egyptologists, since not a single archaeological artifact, dated to these years, was not excavated here.

New mysteries of the Sphinx in Egypt?

There are various legends about the secret passages associated with this artifact. Research at the University of Florida and Boston, as well as Waseda University in Japan, revealed various anomalies around the figure. Although, it is possible that these are natural features.

In 1995, workers repairing a nearby car park stumbled upon a series of tunnels and paths, two of which plunge into the dungeon near the man-beast's stone body. R. Bauval is convinced that these structures are the same age.

Between 1991 and 1993, while studying the damage on the monument with a seismograph, Anthony West's team discovered regular hollow spaces or chambers located at a depth of several meters between the forelimbs and on both sides of the mysterious image. But permission for a deeper study was not obtained. The mystery of the underground rooms has not yet been solved.

The Sphinx in Egypt continues to excite inquisitive minds. There are many speculations and assumptions around the ancient monument on our planet. Will we ever know who and why left this mark on Earth?

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