Which pyramid is guarded by the Sphinx. What is the Great Sphinx. Secrets of ancient times: why the pyramids were built

Egypt has long been a favorite holiday destination for thousands of tourists from all over the world. Some are attracted by the warm and gentle waves of the Red Sea, others are attracted by the oriental atmosphere of traditional markets and shops, and still others come here for the mysterious and artifacts of Ancient Egypt. We can say that if a tourist came to Egypt and did not see the majestic pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, then he did not see anything. The ancient secrets kept by the temples and pyramids of Egypt still attract not only professional archaeologists, but also those who are ready to discover new knowledge and a lot of impressions.

Great Sphinx in Egypt

The Giza sandy plateau is one of the most popular places in Egypt. Here are famous pyramids, of which there are more than a thousand in total, and the largest of them are the pyramids of Cheops, Khafre and Mykerin. In addition, it is impossible not to notice the guard of the necropolis - the Great Sphinx. It is the Sphinx that still carries dark mysteries of the past. As is known, Great Sphinx represents huge statue, the length of which is as much as 72 meters, and its height reaches 20 meters. The statue itself looks like a creature with a human head (presumably it was the face of Pharaoh Khafre) and the body of a lion. The statue has changed significantly under the influence of time, in addition to huge distortions in facial features, the plaster that covered the facing of the Sphinx and was brightly painted in blue, red and yellow has disappeared. Scientists have established that initially the Great Sphinx was painted in general in purple (blue) color completely, and also served as a place for execution and hanging.

The name "sphinx" originates from the ancient Greek - "sphing", where this creature was feminine, and this word also means the verb "strangle". Also, there is another etymological connection with the ancient Egyptian name of the sphinx - "shepses ankh", which means "Image of the Living". According to one version, The Sphinx is the image of the "Living God" which explains its ancient Egyptian name. Also, another version of scientists explains that, the sphinx served as a place for sacrifices. Practical confirmation of this was five other sphinxes found in Egypt, inside of which there was a thick layer of bone remains of human bodies. Besides, at local residents the fear of sphinx monsters took root. For example, in 1845, a sphinx was found on the ruins of Kalah; during the excavation of an archaeological find, local residents were seized by an incomprehensible panic fear of the ancient sphinx. Also, it is known that in the Middle Ages the Arabs called the sphinx as "the father of horror." The authentic name of the statue, which seemed to be from Ancient Egypt, remained unknown.

Where are the Pyramids and the Sphinx located in Egypt?

Pyramids and Sphinx on the map of Egypt:

Another proof was presented to us by the Japanese scientist Sakuji Yoshimura in 1988. He was able to determine that the stone from which the Sphinx was carved is older than the blocks of the pyramids. He used echolocation. Nobody took him seriously. Indeed, age rock echolocation cannot be determined.

The only serious proof of the “theory of antiquity of the Sphinx” is the “Inventory Stele”. This monument was found in 1857 by Auguste Mariette, the founder of the Cairo Museum (pictured left).

On this stele there is an inscription that Pharaoh Cheops (Khufu) found the statue of the Sphinx already buried in the sand. But this stele was created during the 26th dynasty, that is, 2000 years after the life of Cheops. Don't trust this source too much.

One thing we can say for sure - the Sphinx has the head and face of a pharaoh. This is evidenced by the nemes headdress (or klaft) (see photo) and the decorative element uraeus (see photo) on the forehead of the sculpture. These attributes could only be worn by the pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt. If the statue had a nose, then we would be closer to the solution.

By the way, where is the nose?

The mass consciousness is dominated by the version that the nose was shot down by the French in 1798-1800. Napoleon then conquered Egypt, and his gunners trained by shooting at the Great Sphinx.

This is not even a version, but a "fiction". In 1757, the Danish traveler Frederick Louis Norden published sketches he had made at Giza, and the nose was gone. At the time of publication, Napoleon hadn't even been born yet. You can see the sketch in the photo on the right, there really is no nose.

The reasons for the accusations of Napoleon are clear. The attitude towards him in Europe was very negative, he was often called a "monster". As soon as there was a reason to accuse someone of damage historical heritage of mankind, of course, he was chosen as the “scapegoat”.

As soon as the version about Napoleon began to be actively refuted, a second similar version arose. It says that the Mamluks fired cannons at the Great Sphinx. We can't explain why public opinion gravitates so much towards the cannon hypothesis? It is worth asking sociologists and psychoanalysts about this. This version also has not received confirmation.

A proven version of the loss of the nose is expressed in the work of the Arab historian al-Makrizi. He writes that in 1378 the nose of the statue was beaten off by a religious fanatic. He was outraged that the inhabitants of the Nile Valley worship the statue and bring gifts to it. We even know the name of this iconoclast - Mohammed Saim al-Dahr.

Nowadays, scientists have studied the area of ​​the nose of the Sphinx and found traces of a chisel, that is, the nose was chipped off with this particular tool. There are two such traces in total - one chisel was hammered under the nostril, and the second from above.

These traces are small, and the tourist does not notice them. However, you can try to imagine how this fanatic could do it. Apparently, he was lowered down on a rope. The Sphinx lost its nose, and Saim al-Dakhr lost his life, he was torn to pieces by the crowd.

From this story, we can conclude that the Sphinx was still in the 14th century the object of worship and worship of the Egyptians, although almost 750 years have passed since the beginning of the domination of the Arabs.

There is another version of the statue's loss of the nose - natural causes. Erosion destroys the statue, and it even fell off part of the head. It was installed back during the last restoration. And this statue had many restorations.

The Great Sphinx standing on the Giza Plateau is the oldest and grandest sculpture ever created by man. Its dimensions are impressive: the length is 72 m, the height is about 20 m, the nose was the height of a person, and the face was 5 m high.

According to many studies, the Egyptian Sphinx hides even more mysteries than the Great Pyramids. No one knows for sure when and for what purpose this giant sculpture was built.

The Sphinx is located on west bank Nile facing the sunrise. His gaze is directed to that point on the horizon where the sun rises on the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes. The huge statue, made of monolithic limestone, a fragment of the base of the Giza plateau, is the body of a lion with the head of a man.

1. Disappearing Sphinx

It is generally accepted that the Sphinx was erected during the construction of the Khafre pyramid. However, in the ancient papyri relating to the construction of the Great Pyramids, there is no mention of him. Moreover, we know that the ancient Egyptians meticulously recorded all the costs associated with the construction places of worship, but economic documents relating to the construction of the Sphinx have not been found.

In the 5th century BC e. The pyramids of Giza were visited by Herodotus, who described in detail all the details of their construction. He wrote down "everything he saw and heard in Egypt", but he did not say a word about the Sphinx.
Before Herodotus, Hecateus of Miletus visited Egypt, after him - Strabo. Their records are detailed, but there is no mention of the Sphinx there either. Could the Greeks fail to notice the sculpture 20 meters high and 57 meters wide?
The answer to this riddle can be found in the work of the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder Natural history”, which mentions that in his time (1st century AD) the Sphinx was once again cleared of the sands applied from the western part of the desert. Indeed, the Sphinx was regularly "liberated" from sand drifts until the 20th century.

The purpose of creating the Great Sphinx is also not known for certain. modern science thinks he had religious significance and kept the peace of the dead pharaohs. It is possible that the colossus performed some other function that has not yet been clarified. This is indicated both by its exact eastern orientation and the parameters encrypted in proportions.

2. Ancient Pyramids

Restoration work, which began to be carried out in connection with the emergency state of the Sphinx, began to lead scientists to the idea that the Sphinx may be older than previously thought. To test this, Japanese archaeologists, led by Professor Sakuji Yoshimura, first illuminated the pyramid of Cheops with an echo sounder, and then examined the sculpture in a similar way. Their conclusion struck - the stones of the Sphinx are older than those of the pyramid. It was not about the age of the breed itself, but about the time of its processing.
Later, the Japanese were replaced by a team of hydrologists - their findings also became a sensation. On the sculpture, they found traces of erosion caused by large flows of water. The first assumption that appeared in the press was that in ancient times the bed of the Nile passed in another place and washed the rock from which the Sphinx was carved.
Hydrologists' guesses are even bolder: "Erosion is rather traces not the Nile, but the flood - a mighty flood of water. Scientists came to the conclusion that the flow of water went from north to south, and the approximate date of the disaster is 8 thousand years BC. e.

British scientists, repeating the hydrological studies of the rock from which the Sphinx is made, pushed back the date of the flood to 12 thousand years BC. e. This is generally consistent with the dating of the Flood, which, according to most scholars, occurred around 8-10 thousand BC. e.

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3. What is the disease of the Sphinx?

The Arab sages, struck by the majesty of the Sphinx, said that the giant is timeless. But over the past millennia, the monument has suffered a lot, and, first of all, the person is to blame for this.
At first, the Mamluks practiced accuracy of shooting at the Sphinx, their initiative was supported by Napoleonic soldiers. One of the rulers of Egypt ordered to beat off the nose of the sculpture, and the British stole a stone beard from the giant and took it to the British Museum.
In 1988, a huge stone block broke away from the Sphinx and fell with a roar. She was weighed and horrified - 350 kg. This fact caused the most serious concern of UNESCO. It was decided to convene a council of representatives of various specialties in order to find out the reasons that destroy the ancient structure.

For many millennia, the Sphinx has repeatedly been buried under the sand. Somewhere in 1400 BC. e. Pharaoh Thutmose IV, after a wonderful dream, ordered to dig up the Sphinx, setting up a stele between the front paws of a lion in honor of this event. However, then only the paws and the front of the statue were cleaned of sand. Later, the giant sculpture was cleaned under the Romans, the Arabs.

As a result of a comprehensive examination, scientists discovered hidden and extremely dangerous cracks in the head of the Sphinx, in addition, they found that external cracks sealed with low-quality cement are also dangerous - this creates a threat of rapid erosion. The paws of the Sphinx were in no less deplorable condition.
According to experts, the Sphinx, first of all, is harmed by human life: the exhaust gases of automobile engines and the acrid smoke of Cairo factories penetrate into the pores of the statue, which gradually destroys it. Scientists say that the Sphinx is seriously ill.
For restoration ancient monument hundreds of millions of dollars are needed. There is no such money. In the meantime, the Egyptian authorities are restoring the sculpture on their own.

4. Mysterious face
Among the majority of Egyptologists, there is a firm belief that the face of the pharaoh of the IV dynasty Khafre is imprinted in the appearance of the Sphinx. This confidence cannot be shaken by anything - neither by the absence of any evidence of the connection between the sculpture and the pharaoh, nor by the fact that the head of the Sphinx was repeatedly remade.
The well-known expert on the monuments of Giza, Dr. I. Edwards, is convinced that Pharaoh Khafre himself peeps through the Sphinx. “Although the face of the Sphinx is somewhat mutilated, it still gives us a portrait of Khafre himself,” the scientist concludes.
Interestingly, the body of Khafre himself was never found, and therefore statues are used to compare the Sphinx and the pharaoh. First of all, we are talking about a sculpture carved from black diorite, which is stored in the Cairo Museum - it is on it that the appearance of the Sphinx is verified.
To confirm or deny the identification of the Sphinx with Khafre, a group of independent researchers involved the well-known New York policeman Frank Domingo, who created portraits to identify suspects, in the case. After a few months of work, Domingo concluded: “These two works of art depict two different faces. The frontal proportions - and in particular the angles and facial protrusions when viewed from the side - convince me that the Sphinx is not Khafre.

The ancient Egyptian name of the statue has not been preserved, the word "Sphinx" is Greek and is associated with the verb "strangle". The Arabs called the Sphinx "Abu el-Khoy" - "the father of horror." There is an assumption that the ancient Egyptians called the sphinxes "seshep-ankh" - "the image of the Existing (Living)", that is, the Sphinx was the embodiment of God on earth.

5. Mother of fear

The Egyptian archaeologist Rudwan Ash-Shamaa believes that the Sphinx has a female couple and it is hidden under a layer of sand. The Great Sphinx is often referred to as the "Father of Fear". According to the archaeologist, if there is a "Father of fear", then there must be a "Mother of fear".
In his reasoning, Al-Shamaa relies on the way of thinking of the ancient Egyptians, who firmly followed the principle of symmetry. In his opinion, the lonely figure of the Sphinx looks very strange.
The surface of the place where, according to the scientist, the second sculpture should be located, rises several meters above the Sphinx. “It is logical to assume that the statue is simply hidden from our eyes under a layer of sand,” Al-Shamaa is convinced.
In support of his theory, the archaeologist gives several arguments. Ash-Shamaa recalls that between the front paws of the Sphinx there is a granite stele, on which two statues are depicted; there is also a limestone tablet that says that one of the statues was struck by lightning and destroyed it.

Now the Great Sphinx is badly damaged - its face is mutilated, the royal uraeus has disappeared in the form of a cobra rising on its forehead, the festive kerchief that fell from the head to the shoulders is partially broken off.

6. Secret room

In one of the ancient Egyptian treatises, on behalf of the goddess Isis, it is reported that the god Thoth placed in secret place"sacred books", which contain "the secrets of Osiris", and then cast a spell on this place so that knowledge would remain "undiscovered until Heaven gives birth to beings who will be worthy of this gift."
Some researchers are still confident in the existence of a "secret room". They remember how Edgar Cayce predicted that one day in Egypt, under the right paw of the Sphinx, a room called the "Hall of Evidence" or "Hall of Chronicles" would be found. The information stored in the "secret room" will tell mankind about a highly developed civilization that existed millions of years ago.
In 1989, a group of Japanese scientists using the radar method discovered a narrow tunnel under the left paw of the Sphinx, leading towards the pyramid of Khafre, and an impressive cavity was found northwest of the Queen's Chamber. However, the Egyptian authorities did not allow the Japanese to conduct a more detailed study of the underground premises.
Research by American geophysicist Thomas Dobecki showed that under the paws of the Sphinx is a large rectangular chamber. But in 1993, his work was suddenly suspended. local authorities. Since that time, the Egyptian government officially forbids geological or seismological research around the Sphinx.

People did not spare the face and nose of the statue. Previously, the absence of a nose was associated with the actions of the Napoleonic troops in Egypt. Now its loss is associated with the vandalism of a Muslim sheikh, who tried to destroy the statue for religious reasons, or the Mamluks, who used the head of the statue as a target for their cannons. The beard was lost in the 19th century. Part of its fragments is kept in Cairo, part - in the British Museum. TO XIX century, according to the descriptions, only the head and paws of the Sphinx were visible.

Great Sphinx (Egypt) - description, history, location. The exact address, phone, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

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One of the most ancient sculptures in the world, without a doubt, can be called the statue of the Sphinx. In addition, it is also one of the most mysterious sculptures, because the secret of the Sphinx has not yet been fully solved. The Sphinx is a creature with a woman's head, the paws and body of a lion, the wings of an eagle and the tail of a bull. One of the largest images of the Sphinx is located on the west bank of the Nile, next to Egyptian pyramids in Giza.

Almost everything related to the Egyptian Sphinx is controversial among scientists. The exact date of origin of this sculpture is still unknown, and it is completely incomprehensible why the statue has no nose now.

The statue, made of limestone, looks monumental and majestic. It is worth noting its impressive dimensions: length - 73 meters, height - 20 meters. The Sphinx looks at the Nile and the rising sun.

Almost everything related to the Sphinx causes controversy among scientists. The exact date of origin of this sculpture is still unknown, and it is completely incomprehensible why the statue has no nose now. The meaning of the word is also unknown: in Greek, “sphinx” means “strangler”, but what the ancient Egyptians put into this name remains a mystery.

It was customary to portray the Egyptian pharaohs as a formidable lion that would not spare a single enemy. That is why it is believed that the Sphinx guards the rest of the buried pharaohs. The author of the sculpture is unknown, but many researchers believe that it is Khafre. Admittedly, this argument is highly controversial. Proponents of the theory refer to the fact that the stones of the sculpture and the pyramid of Khafre located nearby are the same in size. In addition, an image of this pharaoh was found not far from the statue.

Interestingly, the Sphinx does not have a nose. Of course, once this detail existed, but the reason for its disappearance is still unknown. Perhaps the nose was lost during the battle between Napoleon's troops and the Turks on the territory of the pyramids in 1798. But, according to the Danish traveler Norden, the Sphinx looked like this already in 1737. There is a version that back in the 14th century, some religious fanatic mutilated the sculpture in order to fulfill the covenant of Muhammad to ban the image of a human face.

The Sphinx is missing not only a nose, but also a false ceremonial beard. Her story also causes controversy among scientists. Some believe that the beard was made much later than the sculpture itself. Others believe that the beard was made at the same time as the head and that the ancient Egyptians simply did not have the technical capabilities for the subsequent installation of parts.

The destruction of the sculpture and its subsequent restoration helped scientists find Interesting Facts. So, for example, Japanese archaeologists came to the conclusion that the Sphinx was built before the pyramids. In addition, they found a tunnel under the left paw of the statue, leading towards the pyramid of Khafre. It is interesting that for the first time Soviet researchers mentioned this tunnel.

For a long time mysterious sculpture was under a thick layer of sand. The first attempts to dig up the Sphinx were made in antiquity by Thutmose IV and Ramses II. True, they did not achieve much success. Only in 1817, the Sphinx was freed from its chest, and after more than 100 years, the statue was completely unearthed.

Address: Nazlet El-Semman, Al Haram, Giza

The Pyramid of Khafre is the second largest pyramid in Egypt and is located next to the Great Sphinx. These two buildings can be considered together, since, most likely, they were built as a single composition. The face of the Sphinx, according to scientists, duplicates the face of the pharaoh

Khafre was the son of Khufu (Cheops), so his pyramid is located not far from the Great Pyramid of his father. She has a steeper angle of inclination, and she is located above the pyramid of Khufu, because many consider her even more beautiful.

The pyramid is 215 meters long and 136.4 meters high. Each of the limestone blocks weighs 2 tons and the slope is 53°. The Pyramid of Khafre is built on a plateau 10 meters high, and therefore seems to be higher than the Pyramid of Cheops

Inside the pyramid, everything is much more modest than main pyramid Giza. A modest horizontal corridor leading to two medium-sized chambers. The burial chamber is located at the base of the structure, the rectangular sarcophagus is finished with polished granite, like many other elements of the pyramid inside and out. Nowadays, the pyramid is in good condition, having only slightly decreased in size.

In ancient times, the Khafre complex also included a smaller satellite pyramid, of which almost nothing has survived, as well as the mortuary temple of Khafre, built from huge blocks of granite weighing up to 45 tons each. Nearby there was another temple in the valley, it is called the lower temple, with many sculptures, about 200 copies. Few sculptures have survived to our times, with the exception of a sculpture of a king sitting on a throne, made from diorite.

Great Sphinx located near the pyramid of Khafre and the lower temple. The Sphinx is completely carved from the rock and is the oldest monumental sculpture that has survived to this day. The face of the Sphinx is believed to resemble Pharaoh Khafre, so scientists suggest that the statue, 73 meters long and 20 meters high, was built during his reign. But this is only one of the many versions.

The ancient Egyptians always depicted their pharaohs as a lion protecting their possessions from enemies. Therefore, the Sphinx is considered the guardian of the nearby pyramids

There are several theories regarding the date of the creation of the Sphinx. The most common - the statue was carved from limestone under Chefren, since the temples at the statue were built from the same blocks as the pyramid of Chephren. According to another theory, the Sphinx is much older, and was created even before the Egyptian pharaohs, since the lower part of the statue shows signs of erosion, typical for a long stay in the water. But the opponents of this theory proved that these traces were formed under the influence of rains on the statue.

It is worth noting that there are absolutely no exact facts regarding the Sphinx, none of the theories has ever been finally proven, while refutation has always been found. Boston geologist Robert Schoch suggested that the sphinx originally had the face of a lion, and Khafre ordered his face to be carved there

The statue does not have a nose, which also gave rise to many hypotheses. The most unusual of them - the nose was beaten off by a cannonball during the battle of Napoleon with the Turks in 1798. But it is reliably known that the Sphinx did not have a nose several centuries earlier.

Until 1925, the Sphinx statue was buried under thousands of years of sand. Prior to this, attempts were made to unearth it, in 1817 the Italians dug up the chest of the Sphinx, but it was finally excavated only in the 20th century.