What did the Egyptian Sphinx originally look like? The Sphinx was once covered in paint. What material is the Great Sphinx in Egypt made of?
According to many studies, the Egyptian Sphinx hides even more puzzles than the Great Pyramids. No one knows for sure when and for what purpose this giant sculpture was built.
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.
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 a different 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.
What is wrong with 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.
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.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are needed to restore the ancient monument. There is no such money. In the meantime, the Egyptian authorities are restoring the sculpture on their own.
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.
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.
Chamber of Secrets
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.
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 west bank 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
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 royal power is located on the Giza plateau on the western coast of the Nile River and is surrounded by a wide and rather 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 in his work stone sphinx. 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 have this moment 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 ancient monument engaged in hydrology. 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 stone plateau Giza - 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 the heavenly personification of the ruler at that time was Orion, 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 eager to see the legendary, shrouded in darkness centuries of history and many mystical legends stone sculpture. 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 he keep Great Sphinx? Unfortunately, all these questions have not been answered for many years.
Egypt is a country that is still covered with a mass of mysteries that attract tourists from all over the world. Perhaps one of the most important secrets of this state is the great Sphinx, whose statue is located in the Giza Valley. This is one of the most grandiose sculptures ever created by human hands. Its dimensions are truly impressive - the length is 72 meters, the height is approximately 20 meters, the face of the Sphinx itself is 5 meters long, and the fallen off nose, according to calculations, was the size of an average human height. Not a single photo is able to convey the grandeur of this stunning monument of antiquity.
Today, the great Sphinx in Giza no longer instills sacred horror in a person - after excavations it turned out that the statue is just “sitting” in a pit. However, for many centuries, her head, sticking out of the desert sand, inspired superstitious fear in the desert Bedouins and local residents.
general information
The Egyptian Sphinx is located on west coast the Nile River, and his head is facing the sunrise. For many thousands of years, the gaze of this silent witness to the history of the country of the Pharaohs has been directed to that point on the horizon where, on the days of the autumn and spring equinoxes, the sun begins its unhurried course.
The Sphinx itself is made of monolithic limestone, which is a fragment of the base of the Giza plateau. The statue is a huge mysterious creature with the body of a lion and the head of a man. Many have seen this grand building in the photo in books and textbooks on the history of the Ancient World.
Cultural and historical significance of the building
According to historians, in almost all ancient civilizations, the lion was the personification of the sun and the solar deity. In the drawings of the ancient Egyptians, the pharaoh was very often depicted as a lion, attacking the enemies of the state and exterminating them. It was on the basis of these beliefs that a version was built that the great Sphinx is a kind of mystical guard guarding the peace of the rulers buried in the tombs of the Giza Valley.
It is still not known how the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt called the Sphinx. It is believed that the word "sphinx" itself is of Greek origin and literally translates as "strangler". In some Arabic texts, in particular, in the famous collection "A Thousand and One Nights", the Sphinx is called the "Father of Terror". There is another opinion, according to which the ancient Egyptians called the statue "the image of being." This once again confirms that the Sphinx was for them the earthly incarnation of one of the deities.
Story
Probably the most main riddle, which is fraught with the Egyptian Sphinx - this is who, when and why erected such a grandiose monument. In the ancient papyri found by historians, you can find a lot of information about the construction and creators of the Great Pyramids and numerous temple complexes, but there is no mention of the Sphinx, its creator and the cost of its construction (and the ancient Egyptians were always very attentive to the costs of this or that business) not in any source. It was first mentioned in his writings by the historian Pliny the Elder, but that was already at the beginning of our era. He notes that the Sphinx, located in Egypt, was reconstructed and cleared of sand several times. It is precisely the fact that not a single source has yet been found explaining the origin of this monument that gave rise to countless versions, opinions and conjectures as to who and why built it.
The Great Sphinx fits perfectly into the complex of structures located on the Giza plateau. The creation of this complex dates back to the reign of the IV dynasty of kings. Actually, he himself includes the Great Pyramids and the statue of the Sphinx.
It is still impossible to say exactly how old this monument is. According to the official version, the Great Sphinx at Giza was erected during the reign of Pharaoh Khafre, around 2500 BC. In support of this hypothesis, historians point to the similarity of the limestone blocks used in the construction of the Khafre pyramid and the Sphinx, as well as the image of the ruler himself, which was found near the building.
There is one more alternative version origin of the Sphinx, according to which its construction dates back to even more ancient times. A group of Egyptologists from Germany, who analyzed limestone erosion, came to the conclusion that the monument was built around 7000 BC. There are also astronomical theories of the creation of the Sphinx, according to which its construction is associated with the constellation Orion and corresponds to 10,500 BC.
Restorations and the current state of the monument
The Great Sphinx, although it has survived to our times, is now badly damaged - neither time nor people spared it. The face was especially affected - in numerous photos you can see that it is almost completely erased, and it is not possible to distinguish its features. Urey - a symbol of royal power, which is a cobra that wraps around its head - is irretrievably lost. Plath - a solemn headdress descending from the head onto the shoulders of the statue - is also partially destroyed. The beard also suffered, which is now not fully represented. But where and under what circumstances the nose of the Sphinx disappeared, scientists still argue.
Damage on the face of the Great Sphinx, located in Egypt, is very reminiscent of chisel marks. According to Egyptologists, in the 14th century it was mutilated by a pious sheikh who carried out the precepts of the Prophet Muhammad, which forbade the depiction of a human face on works of art. And the head of the structure was used by the Mamelukes as a cannon target.
Today, in the photo, video and live, you can see how much the Great Sphinx has suffered from time and the cruelty of people. A small piece weighing 350 kg even broke off from it - this gives one more reason to be truly amazed. giant size this building.
Although only 700 years ago the face mysterious statue described a Arab traveler. His travel notes said that this face was truly beautiful, and his lips bore the majestic seal of the pharaohs.
For all the years of its existence, the Great Sphinx has repeatedly plunged up to its shoulders into the sands of the Sahara desert. The first attempts to excavate the monument were made in ancient times by pharaohs Thutmose IV and Ramses II. Under Thutmose, the Great Sphinx was not only completely dug out of the sand, but a huge arrow made of granite was also installed in its paws. An inscription was carved on it, stating that the ruler gives his body under the protection of the Sphinx so that it rests under the sands of the Giza valley and at some point rises in the guise of a new pharaoh.
During the time of Ramses II, the Great Sphinx of Giza was not only dug out of the sand, but also underwent a thorough restoration. In particular, the massive rear part of the statue was replaced with blocks, although earlier the entire monument was monolithic. At the beginning of the 19th century, archaeologists completely cleared the chest of the statue of sand, but it was completely freed from sand only in 1925. It was then that the true dimensions of this grandiose structure became known.
The Great Sphinx as an object of tourism
The Great Sphinx, like the Great Pyramids, is located on the Giza plateau, which is 20 km from the capital of Egypt. This is a single complex of historical monuments of Ancient Egypt, which has come down to our days since the reign of the pharaohs from the IV dynasty. It consists of three great pyramids- Cheops, Khafre and Mykerin, small pyramids of queens are also included here. Here, tourists can visit various temple buildings. The statue of the Sphinx is located in the eastern part of this ancient complex.
The large sphinx, whose figure is carved from solid rock and faces east, is much older than the pyramids located in the Giza Valley. This fact is proved by the inventory stele, discovered in the vicinity of Cairo in 1857.
According to inscriptions engraved on ancient granite, the Sphinx was restored in the era of Pharaoh Khafre, whose reign dates back presumably to 2558 BC. e. Previously, it was believed that the half-lion-half-man was only erected at this time.
Mysteries of the ancient Sphinx
The Sphinx is located next to the pyramid of Khafre, so scientists agreed that a stone lion with a human head is the guardian of the tomb of the great king of the Egyptian people. However, in the papyri, which described the course of the construction of the pyramids, there is no information about the huge sculpture.
There is no such information in the records of Herodotus, who visited Egypt in the 5th century BC. e. How could an ancient Greek historian fail to notice a figure whose height is 20 m and width 57 m?
Previously, it was believed that the head of the Sphinx has a portrait resemblance to Khafre. In 1993, the famous American identikit compiler Frank Domingo was invited to Egypt for independent research.
For identification, a sculpture of the pharaoh, kept in the museum of Cairo, was used. results comparative analysis showed that the faces of the Sphinx and Khafre have nothing in common.
Witness of the Flood
By the end of the 20th century, the decrepit state of the half-lion figure caused restoration work. In 1988, a group of archaeologists from Japan, led by Professor Yoshimura, used electronic equipment to explore the pyramids and the Sphinx. The results were staggering: the material from which it is made huge statue, much older than the pyramid blocks.
Second sensational discovery was the discovery of a tunnel sculpture under the paw. By the way, at the beginning of the 20th century, the American clairvoyant Edgar Cayce suggested that there was a hidden room under the Sphinx, which is a repository of centuries-old scrolls with information about disappeared civilizations.
The traces of erosion on his body also testify to the ancient origin of the guardian of the pyramids. In the 90s of the XX century, hydrologists came to the conclusion that these depressions are the result of the action of powerful water flows.
According to paleoclimatologists, the last showers of such force irrigated the lands of Egypt seven thousand years ago, but even they could not have damaged the statue so badly. Scientists believe that damage could cause more major disaster- Global flood.
An ancient legend says that when the half-lion, half-man speaks, life on Earth will change its course. Perhaps the Sphinx harbors knowledge that can fundamentally change humanity. What other mysteries does the witness of the events that took place more than 8 thousand years ago hide in himself?
While there is no answer to this question, the silent prophet of the desert knows how to keep secrets. But it is known that the ancient pharaohs.
