The Great Pyramids of Giza (Egyptian Pyramids) and the Great Sphinx are the legacy of the Old Kingdom. Great Sphinx in Giza

The Egyptian Sphinx hides many secrets and mysteries, no one knows for certain when and for what purpose this giant sculpture was built.

Disappearing Sphinx

It is believed that the Sphinx was erected during the construction of the pyramid of Khafre. 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 related 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 that he saw and heard in Egypt,” but did not say a word about the Sphinx. Before Herodotus, Hecateus of Miletus visited Egypt, after him - Strabo. Their notes are detailed, but there is no mention of the Sphinx there either. Could the Greeks have missed 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 deposited from the western part of the desert. Indeed, the Sphinx was regularly “freed” from sand deposits until the 20th century.

Ancient pyramids

The restoration work, which began to be carried out in connection with the emergency state of the Sphinx, began to suggest to scientists that the Sphinx is possibly older than previously thought. To check this, Japanese archaeologists, led by Professor Sakuji Yoshimura, first enlightened the Cheops pyramid using sonar, and then examined the sculpture in a similar way. Their conclusion was striking - 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 the Nile bed in ancient times passed in a different place and washed the rock from which the Sphinx was hewn.

The hydrologists' guesses are even bolder: "Erosion is more likely traces not of the Nile, but of a flood - a mighty flood of water." Scientists came to the conclusion that the water flow was from north to south, and the approximate date of the catastrophe is 8 thousand years BC. e. British scientists, repeating the hydrological studies of the rock from which the Sphinx is made, pushed 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 scientists, occurred around 8-10 thousand BC. e.

What is the Sphinx sick with?

The Arab sages, struck by the majesty of the Sphinx, said that the giant is timeless. But over the past millennia, the monument has pretty much gotten, 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 sculpture's nose, and the British stole a stone beard from the giant and took him to the British Museum. In 1988, a huge block of stone broke away from the Sphinx and fell with a crash. They weighed her and were horrified - 350 kg. This fact has 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 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 poor-quality cement are also dangerous - this poses a threat of rapid erosion. The paws of the Sphinx were in an equally depressing state.

According to experts, the Sphinx, first of all, is harmed by human life: exhaust gases from automobile engines and caustic smoke from Cairo factories penetrate into the pores of the statue, which gradually destroys it. Scientists say the Sphinx is seriously ill. Hundreds of millions of dollars are needed to restore the ancient monument. There is no such money. Until then Egyptian authorities restore the sculpture on their own.

Mysterious face

Among the majority of Egyptologists, there is a strong belief that the face of the Pharaoh of the IV dynasty Khafre is captured in the appearance of the Sphinx. This confidence cannot be overwhelmed by anything - neither the absence of any evidence of the connection between the sculpture and the pharaoh, nor the fact that the head of the Sphinx has been repeatedly altered.

The well-known expert on the monuments of Giza, Dr. I. Edwards, is convinced that in the face of the Sphinx the Pharaoh Khafren himself is seen. “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 kept in the Cairo Museum - it is on her that the appearance of the Sphinx is verified.

To confirm or deny the identification of the Sphinx with Khefren, a group of independent researchers involved the famous New York policeman Frank Domingo, who created portraits to identify suspects. After a few months of work, Domingo concluded: “These two works of art depict two different faces. The frontal proportions - and especially the angles and frontal protrusions when viewed from the side - convince me that the Sphinx is not Khefren. "

Mother of fear

Egyptian archaeologist Rudwan Ash-Shamaa believes that there is a female couple at the Sphinx and she is hiding 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, Ash-Shamaa relies on the way of thinking of the ancient Egyptians, who firmly followed the principle of symmetry.

In his eyes, the lonely figure of the Sphinx looks very strange. The surface of the place where, according to the scientist's assumption, 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,” Ash-Shamaa is convinced. The archaeologist makes several arguments to support his theory. Ash-Shamaa recalls that between the front paws of the Sphinx is a granite stele, which depicts two statues; there is also a limestone tablet that says that one of the statues was struck by lightning and destroyed.

Chamber of Secrets

In one of the ancient Egyptian treatises, on behalf of the goddess Isis, it is reported that the god Thoth placed "sacred books" in a secret place, which contain the "secrets of Osiris", and then cast a spell on this place so that knowledge remained "undiscovered until Heaven will not give birth to creatures who will be worthy of this gift. "

Some researchers are still convinced of the existence of a "secret room" today. They recall how Edgar Cayce predicted that one day in Egypt, under the right paw of the Sphinx, a room would be found called the "Hall of Testimonies" or "Hall of Chronicles." The information stored in the "secret room" will tell humanity about highly developed civilization that existed millions of years ago. In 1989, a group of Japanese scientists, using a radar method, discovered a narrow tunnel under the left paw of the Sphinx, extending 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 the 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 by the local authorities. Since that time, the Egyptian government has officially prohibited the conduct of 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 oldest 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 female head, the legs 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 at west bank Nile, next to the Egyptian pyramids at Giza.

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

The statue, made of limestone rock, 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 connected with the Sphinx is controversial among scientists. The exact date of the origin of this sculpture is still unknown and it is completely incomprehensible why now the statue has no nose. The meaning of the word is also unknown: in translation from the Greek "sphinx" means "strangler", but what the ancient Egyptians put into this name remains a mystery.

It was customary to depict the Egyptian pharaohs in the form of a formidable lion that would not spare any enemy. That is why it is believed that the Sphinx protects the peace of the buried pharaohs. The author of the sculpture is unknown, but many researchers believe that it is Khefren. True, this judgment is very controversial. Proponents of the theory refer to the fact that the stones of the sculpture and the nearby pyramid of Khafre are the same in size. In addition, an image of this pharaoh was found near the statue.

Interestingly, the Sphinx has no nose. Of course, this detail once existed, but the reason for its disappearance is still unknown. Perhaps the nose was lost during the battle of Napoleon's troops with 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 behest of Muhammad to prohibit the depiction of a human face.

The Sphinx lacks not only a nose, but also a false ceremonial beard. Its history 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 assembly of parts.

The destruction of the sculpture and its subsequent restoration helped scientists find Interesting Facts... 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, going towards the pyramid of Khafre. Interestingly, Soviet researchers were the first to mention this tunnel.

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

Address: Nazlet El-Semman, Al Haram, Giza

Hearing the combination of the words "Ancient Egypt", many will immediately imagine the majestic pyramids and the Great Sphinx - it is with them that the mysterious civilization, separated from us by several millennia, is associated. Let's get acquainted with interesting facts about the sphinxes, these mysterious creatures.

Definition

What is a Sphinx? This word first appeared in the Land of the Pyramids, and later spread throughout the world. So, in antique greece you can meet a similar creature - lovely woman with wings. In Egypt, however, these creatures were most often masculine. The sphinx with the face of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut is known. Having received the throne and pushed aside the legitimate heir, this imperious woman tried to rule like a man, even wearing a special false beard. Therefore, it is not surprising that many statues from this time found her face.

What function did they perform? According to mythology, the sphinx acted as the guardian of tombs and temple buildings, which is why most of the statues that have survived to this day were found near such structures. So, in the temple of the supreme deity, the solar Amun, about 900 of them were found.

So, answering the question of what a sphinx is, it should be noted that this is a statue characteristic of the culture of Ancient Egypt, which, according to mythology, guarded temple buildings and tombs. Limestone was used as a material for creation, of which there were quite a lot in the Land of the Pyramids.

Description

The ancient Egyptians depicted the Sphinx as follows:

The head of a person, most often a pharaoh.
The body of a lion, one of the sacred animals of the hot country of Kemet.

But such an appearance is not the only version of the depiction of a mythological creature. Modern finds prove that there were other species, for example, with a head:

ram (the so-called cryosphinxes, installed at the temple of Amun);
Falcon (they were called hieracosphinxes and were most often placed at the temple of the god Horus);
hawk.

So, answering the question of what a sphinx is, it should be pointed out that this is a statue with the body of a lion and the head of another creature (more often - a man, a ram), which was installed in the immediate vicinity of the temples.

The most famous sphinxes

The tradition of creating highly original statues with a human head and a lion's body has been inherent in the Egyptians for a long time. So, the first of them appeared during the fourth dynasty of the pharaohs, that is, approximately in 2700-2500. BC e. Interestingly, the first representative was feminine and portrayed the queen, Goethefer II. This statue has come down to us, everyone can see it in the Cairo Museum.

Everyone knows the Great Sphinx of Giza, which we will talk about below.

The second largest sculpture depicting an unusual creature is an alabaster creation with the face of Pharaoh Amenhotep II, discovered in Memphis.

The famous Alley of the Sphinxes at the Temple of Amun in Luxor is no less famous.

The greatest value

The most famous all over the world, of course, is the Great Sphinx, which not only amazes the imagination with its enormous size, but also poses many mysteries to the scientific community.

The giant with a lion's body is located on the plateau in Giza (near the capital of the modern state, Cairo) and is part of a burial complex, which also includes the three great pyramids. It was carved from a monolithic block and represents the largest structure for which a solid stone was used.

Even the age of this outstanding monument is controversial, although the analysis of the breed suggested that it is at least 4.5 millennia old. What features of this colossal monument are known?

The face of the Sphinx, disfigured by time and, as one of the legends says, by the barbaric actions of the soldiers of Napoleon's army, most likely depicts Pharaoh Khafre.
The face of the giant is turned to the east, it is there that the pyramids are located - the statue seems to protect the peace of the greatest pharaohs of antiquity.
The dimensions of the figure, carved from monolithic limestone, amaze the imagination: the length is more than 55 meters, the width is about 20 meters, the width of the shoulders is more than 11 meters.
Earlier, the ancient sphinx was painted, as evidenced by the surviving remains of paint: red, blue and yellow.
Also, the statue had a beard characteristic of the kings of Egypt. It has survived to this day, albeit separately from the sculpture - it is kept in the British Museum.

The giant turned out to be buried under the sands several times, it was dug up. Perhaps it was the protection of the sand that helped the Sphinx survive the devastating influence of natural disasters.

Changes

The Egyptian Sphinx managed to conquer time, but it affected the change in its appearance:

Initially, the figure had a headdress, traditional for the pharaohs, decorated with a sacred cobra, but it was completely destroyed.
The statue also lost its false beard.
The damage to the nose has already been mentioned. Someone blames the shelling of Napoleon's army for this, others - the actions of Turkish soldiers. There is also a version that the protruding part has suffered from wind and moisture.

Despite this, the monument is one of the greatest creations of the ancients.

Mysteries of history

Let's get acquainted with the secrets of the Egyptian Sphinx, many of which have not yet been solved:

Legend has it that there are three underground passages under the giant monument. However, only one of them was found - behind the giant's head.
The age of the largest sphinx is still unknown. Most scholars believe that it was built during the reign of Khafre, but there are those who consider the sculpture to be more ancient. So, her face and head retained traces of impact. water element, therefore, a hypothesis appeared that the giant was erected more than 6 thousand years ago, when a terrible flood hit Egypt.
Perhaps the army of the French emperor is wrongly accused of causing damage to the great monument of the past, since there are drawings of an unknown traveler, in which the giant is already depicted without a nose. Napoleon was not yet born at that time.
As you know, the Egyptians knew writing and documented everything on papyri in detail - from campaigns of conquest and the construction of temples to tax collection. However, not a single scroll has been found, which would contain information about the construction of the monument. Perhaps these documents have simply not survived to this day. Perhaps the reason is that the giant appeared long before the Egyptians themselves.
The first mention of the Egyptian Sphinx was found in the writings of Pliny the Elder, which refers to the work of excavating a sculpture from the sand.

Majestic monument Of the ancient world has not yet revealed all his mysteries to us, so his research continues.

Restoration and protection

We learned what the Sphinx is, what role it played in the worldview of the ancient Egyptian. They tried to excavate a huge figure from the sand and partially restore it even under the pharaohs. It is known that similar work was carried out during the time of Thutmose IV. A granite stele (the so-called "Stele of Sleep") has survived, telling that one day the Pharaoh had a dream in which the god Ra ordered him to clear the statue of sand, in return promising power over the entire state.

Later, the conqueror Ramses II also ordered the excavation of the Egyptian Sphinx. Then attempts were made at the beginning of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Now let's see how our contemporaries are trying to preserve this cultural heritage. The figure was carefully analyzed, all cracks were identified, the monument was closed to the public and was restored within 4 months. In 2014, it was reopened to tourists.

The history of the Sphinx in Egypt is amazing and filled with secrets and mysteries. Many of them have not yet been solved by scientists, so the amazing figure with the body of a lion and the face of a man continues to attract attention.

The Great Sphinx, carved out of solid rock and facing east, is much older than the pyramids in the Giza Valley. This fact is proved by the Inventory Stele discovered in the vicinity of Cairo in 1857.

According to the inscriptions engraved on the ancient granite, the Sphinx was restored during 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 raised at this time.

Mysteries of the Ancient Sphinx

The Sphinx is located next to the pyramid of Khafre, so scientists agreed that the 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 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 not notice a figure whose height is 20 m and width is 57 m?

Previously, it was believed that the head of the Sphinx bears a portrait resemblance to Khafren. In 1993, renowned American sketch compiler Frank Domingo was invited to Egypt for independent research.

A sculpture of the pharaoh kept in the Cairo Museum was used for identification. The results of a comparative analysis showed that the faces of the Sphinx and Khafre have nothing in common.

World flood witness

By the end of the 20th century, the emergency state of the half-lion figure was the reason for the restoration work. In 1988, a group of archaeologists from Japan led by Professor Yoshimura explored the pyramids and the Sphinx using electronic equipment. The results were stunning: the material from which the huge statue is made is much older than the blocks of the pyramids.

The second sensational discovery was the discovery of a tunnel sculpture under the paw. By the way, the American clairvoyant Edgar Cayce suggested at the beginning of the 20th century that there is a hidden room under the Sphinx, which is a repository of centuries-old scrolls with information about disappeared civilizations.

Traces of erosion on his body also testify to the ancient origin of the keeper 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 streams of water.

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 the damage could have been caused by a larger catastrophe - the Flood.

An ancient legend says that when the half-lion-half-person speaks, life on Earth will change its course. Perhaps the Sphinx harbors knowledge that can radically change humanity. What other mysteries does a witness of events that took place more than 8 thousand years ago conceal?

So far 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.

It can be seen from afar, its power attracts the eye and many questions arise. Until now, the Great Sphinx remains one of the most ancient and mysterious statues. Its height is over 20 meters. The sculpture is 57 meters wide. It is surprising that the sands of the desert in the 17th century BC. swallowed up the Sphinx. The sculpture disappeared for several centuries. And only in the 5th century BC. Thutmose ordered to unearth it. In 1925, last time excavations by the Egyptian Antiquities Service.

Great Sphinx as a collective image

The creators of the Sphinx attached great importance to astrology. Using her knowledge, and in particular, the station of the Sun in the Zodiac: Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius. In addition, depicting the Sphinx, the sculptors embodied in the sculpture the collective image of the pharaoh, Imhotep, the gods Baboon and Horus. Therefore, the Sphinx was given a name - "Living Image".

Age of the Great Sphinx

There are various versions about when the Great Sphinx was created. Some believe that the statue is 200,000 years old. According to the scientist N.N.Sochevanov, the construction of the Great Sphinx began 44 thousand years BC. and finished 1200 years later. Many who study the age of the giant sculpture are guided by the processes occurring in limestone as a result of erosion. Dr. R. Schoch, professor of geology at the University of Boston, takes into account the degree of erosion of the rock and believes that the Sphinx was created around 5000-6000 BC, since it rained during this period.

Unfortunately, time did not spare the figure, and people treated her with barbarism. The Sphinx's face is disfigured. In the 14th century, one of the sheikhs, in order to fulfill the behest of Muhammad, which forbade depicting a human face, damaged the sculpture. The Sphinx's head was used for training as targets and Mamelukes.

Now the place in Egypt, where the monumental structure is located, is a place for excursions. The majestic Great Sphinx evokes fear and surprise at the same time.

You can learn more about the history of Egypt and not only in the Abdin Palace, which is now a museum complex.

The Great Pyramids of Giza (Egyptian Pyramids) and the Great Sphinx are the legacy of the Old Kingdom. Great Sphinx in Giza - description, photos, interesting facts