Sphinx in Egypt: secrets, riddles and scientific facts. Great Sphinx in Giza - description, photos, interesting facts

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

Brief description of the Sphinx in Egypt

Sphinx and 50 jets

The Sphinx in Egypt is the largest surviving sculpture of antiquity. The length of the body is 3 compartment cars (73.5 m), and the height is a 6-story 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 from which the paws are made 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 missing. Fragments of the latter are on display in the British Museum.

Remnants of the original dark red paint can be seen near the ear.

What could the strange proportions mean?

One of the main abnormalities of the figure is the disproportion of the head and torso. It seems that top part was altered 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 have reduced the head or enlarged the torso.

Where is the Sphinx?

The monument is located in the necropolis of Memphis next to the pyramidal structures of Khufu (Cheops), Khafre (Chephren) and Menkaure (Mycerinus) about 10 km from Cairo, on the western bank of the Nile River on the Giza Plateau.

God in reverse or what the giant symbolizes

In Ancient Egypt, the figure of the Lion personified the power of the pharaohs. In Abydos, the cemetery of the first Egyptian kings, archaeologists discovered 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 the body of a man and the head of an animal, but here it’s the other way around: a man’s head the size of a house on the body of a lion.

Maybe this suggests that the power and strength of the lion combined with human wisdom and the ability to control this power? But to whom did this strength and wisdom belong? Whose facial 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, studying him, the materials and rock around him. He compiled detailed map statues and came to a clear conclusion: the statue was carved from limestone, which lies at the base of the Giza plateau.

First, they hollowed out a trench in the shape 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 solution. The other is how exactly did they do it?

Together with Rick Brown, an expert on ancient tools, Mark reproduced the tools depicted in tomb drawings that were over 4,000 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 made it possible to calculate that they could have worked on creating the mysterious figure one hundred sculptors in within three years. At the same time, they were accompanied by a whole army of workers who created tools, hauled away rock and did other necessary work.

Who broke the colossus' nose?

When Napoleon arrived in Egypt in 1798, he saw mysterious monster already without a nose, which is proven by drawings from the 18th century: the face was like this long before the arrival of the French. Although one may come across the opinion that the nose was recaptured by the French military.

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

Fragments of the ritual beard of the Egyptian Sphinx. British Museum, Photo from EgyptArchive

Indeed, there are traces of wedges driven into the bridge of the nose and near the nostril. It looks like someone hammered them in 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 that while hunting, resting in the midday shade of a structure, the king’s son fell asleep and had a dream. The giant deity promised him the crown of the Upper and Lower Kingdoms and in return asked him to free him from the consuming desert. The granite Dream Stele, installed between the paws, preserves this history.

Drawing of the Great Sphinx 1737 Hood. Frederic Norden

The prince not only dug up the deity, but also surrounded it with a high stone wall. At the end of 2010, Egyptian archaeologists excavated areas brick wall, which stretches 132 m 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 grief-restoration of the Sphinx in Giza

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

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

But on initial stage work, instead of benefit, only caused additional damage. The cement used for repairs, as it turned out later, was incompatible with limestone. Over 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 depicts

Excavations of the Temple of Khafre (foreground).
The Kheop Pyramid is in the background.
Photograph by Henri Bechard, 1887

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 Pharaoh Khafre (Hawr) from the fourth dynasty, because. a similar small stone silhouette with his face was found nearby. The sizes of the blocks of Khafre's tomb (circa 2540 BC) and the monster also match. 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. He studied the structure of the Sphinx Temple, which is located 9 meters away. In the days of spring and autumn equinox, the sun at sunset connects the two sanctuaries of the temple and the pyramid of Khafre, with one line.

The religion of the ancient Egyptian kingdom was based on the worship of the Sun. Local residents worshiped the idol as an incarnation of the Sun God, calling it Khor-Em-Akhet. Comparing these facts, Mark determines the original purpose of the Sphinx and his identity: Khafre's 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 was more noticeable to Khafre'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

Explorer John Anthony West

There is now a lively debate about the dating of the monument. Writer John Anthony West was the first to notice marks on the lion's body. one erosion. Other structures on the plateau show wind or sand erosion. He contacted geologist and associate professor at Boston University Robert M. Schoch, who, after studying the materials, agreed with West's conclusions. In 1993, their collaboration“The Secret of the Sphinx,” 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 for the observed effects of water erosion to occur, the age of the Sphinx must be from 7000 to 10,000 years.

Scientists have rejected Schoch's theory as wildly flawed, pointing out that the once common violent rain storms across Egypt had ceased before the sculpture's appearance. But the question remains: why was it only this Giza structure that showed signs of water damage?

Spiritual and supernatural interpretations about the purpose of the Sphinx

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

His favorite symbol of the country, mysterious giant, told him his secrets during the 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.

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

Sketch by Vivant Duvon from 1798. Shows a man emerging from a hole in the top.

Writer Robert Bauval published an article in 1989 that the three pyramids at Giza relative to the Nile formed a kind of three-dimensional "hologram" on the ground of the three stars of Orion's belt and milky way. He developed a complex theory that all the structures of a given area, together with the ancient Scriptures, constitute an astronomical map.

The most suitable position of the stars in the sky for this interpretation was in 10500 BC. BC. This date is understandably disputed by Egyptologists, since not a single archaeological artifact dating from these years has been excavated here.

New riddles of the Sphinx in Egypt?

There are various legends about secret passages associated with this artifact. Research by the University of Florida and Boston University, 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 renovating a nearby parking lot came across a series of tunnels and paths, two of which plunge underground not far from the stone body of the man-beast. R. Bauval is convinced that these structures are the same age.

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

The Sphinx in Egypt continues to excite inquiring minds. There are many conjectures and assumptions surrounding the most ancient monument on our planet. Will we ever find out who and why left this mark on Earth?

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Great Sphinx (Egypt) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, 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, this is also one of the most mysterious sculptures, because the mystery of the Sphinx has not yet been fully solved. The Sphinx is a creature with the head of a woman, 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 western 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 unclear why the statue is now missing a 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 related to the Sphinx is controversial among scientists. The exact date of origin of this sculpture is still unknown and it is completely unclear why the statue is now missing a nose. The meaning of the word is also unknown: translated from Greek, “sphinx” means “strangler,” but what the ancient Egyptians meant in this name remains a mystery.

It was customary to depict Egyptian pharaohs as a formidable lion who would not spare a single enemy. That is why it is believed that the Sphinx guards the peace of the buried pharaohs. The author of the sculpture is unknown, but many researchers believe that it is Khafre. True, this judgment is very controversial. Supporters 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 not far from the statue.

Interestingly, the Sphinx does not have a 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 in 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 prohibit the depiction of a human face.

The Sphinx not only lacks a nose, but also a false ceremonial beard. Her story is also controversial 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. For example, Japanese archaeologists came to the conclusion that the Sphinx was built before the pyramids. In addition, they discovered a tunnel under the left paw of the statue leading towards the Pyramid of Khafre. Interestingly, this tunnel was first mentioned by Soviet researchers.

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

Address: Nazlet El-Semman, Al Haram, Giza

Address: Egypt, Giza plateau in the suburbs of Cairo
Date of construction: XXVI-XXIII centuries BC e.
Coordinates: 29°58"41.3"N 31°07"52.1"E

Where the green Nile Valley gives way to the Libyan Desert, in the suburbs of Cairo, on the Giza Plateau, the Great Pyramids stand unshakably. To the eyes of a tourist arriving in Giza, the pyramids open unexpectedly: like a mirage, they “grow” from the hot sands of the desert.

Great Pyramids of Giza from above

IN Ancient world The pyramids were considered one of the “7 Wonders of the World,” but even today they impress with their immense size, and their secrets will excite the imagination of mankind for a long time. The pyramids were admired " the mighty of the world this" - Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, etc.

Great Pyramids of Giza. From left to right: pyramids of queens, pyramid of Mikerin, pyramid of Khafre, pyramid of Cheops

Wanting to inspire French army Before the famous battle with the Mamluks, Napoleon, standing at the pyramids, exclaimed: “Soldiers, 40 centuries are looking at you from these peaks!” And then Bonaparte calculated: if the Cheops pyramid was dismantled, then from 2.5 million stone blocks it would be possible to build a 3-meter wall around France.

The three Great Pyramids, guarded by the Great Sphinx, are part of the huge necropolis of Giza. These pyramids were built under the pharaohs of the IV dynasty, who ruled the Old Kingdom in 2639-2506. BC e. They are surrounded by small pyramids and temples where the wives of the pharaohs, priests and officials are buried.

The Pyramid of Cheops

Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu)

The largest of the pyramids, the Pyramid of Cheops, is the only one of the “7 Wonders of the World” that has survived to this day. For more than 3,000 years, before the construction of Lincoln Cathedral in England (1311), the Cheops Pyramid was the tallest structure on Earth. Its original height - 146.6 meters - corresponded to a 50-story skyscraper, but after an earthquake in the 13th century, the Cheops pyramid decreased by 8 meters - it lost its cladding and the gilded pyramidon stone that crowned the top.

Pyramid of Cheops and Museum of the Solar Boat

The Egyptians stole the polished white limestone slabs and used them to build Cairo's houses and mosques. The Pyramid of Cheops amazes with its grandeur and the titanic work of people who raised stone blocks weighing 2.5 tons to the sky using primitive devices - ropes and levers. And in the “Tsar’s Chamber” granite blocks weigh up to 80 tons. The Arab historian Abdel Latif (12th century) notes that the individual blocks are so tightly fitted to each other that it is impossible to insert the tip of a knife between them.

Solar boat

Solar boat

Inside the Cheops pyramid there are burial chambers, and outside, at its foot, there is the Museum of the Solar Boat.. On this ship, built of cedar without a single nail, the pharaoh was supposed to go to the afterlife.

Pyramid of Khafre

Pyramid of Khafre (Khafre)

The second largest ancient Egyptian pyramid was built 40 years later than the first by Pharaoh Khafre, the son of Cheops. Although the pyramid of Khafre is inferior in height (136.4 m) to the tomb of his father, but due to its location on a more high point plateau, it was a worthy competitor to the Great Pyramid.

At the top of the Pyramid of Khafre, a white basalt cladding is partially preserved, reminiscent of a glacier on the mountain.

Pyramid of Mikerin

Pyramid of Mikerin (Menkaure)

The ensemble of the Great Pyramids is completed by the relatively modest-sized tomb of Mikerin, built for the grandson of Cheops. Contrary to the loud nickname “Heru” (high), it reaches only 62 meters in height, but it emphasizes the greatness of the pyramids of Cheops and Khafre.

Great Sphinx

Great Sphinx

At the foot of the Giza plateau stands a monumental sculpture 73 meters long and 20 meters high. It is carved from a monolithic limestone rock in the shape of a sphinx - mythical creature with the head of a man, the paws and body of a lion. According to scientists, The facial features of the Great Sphinx are similar to the appearance of Pharaoh Khafre. The Sphinx's gaze is directed to the east, towards the rising sun. According to the beliefs of the Egyptians, the lion was a symbol of the solar deity, and the pharaoh was the deputy of the Sun god Ra on earth and after death merged with the shining luminary.

Great Sphinx from the rear

Lions stood at the gates of the underworld, which is why the Sphinx is considered to be the guardian of the necropolis. The statue's face is badly damaged. Most often you can hear that the Sphinx's nose was beaten off by Napoleonic grenadiers. According to another version of the legend, the damage to the sculpture was caused by one Shah, a religious fanatic. The reason for the vandalism is simple: Islam prohibits making images of people and animals.

The Great Sphinx against the background of the Pyramid of Khafre

Secrets of ancient times: why were the pyramids built?

Disputes about the purpose of the pyramids are still ongoing. The traditional version says that the mounds towering above the mortal world could be the tombs of the pharaohs, from where their ashes rose closer to the sky and the sun. Some scientists consider the pyramids to be temples where sun worshipers performed religious rites; others are scientific laboratories created for astronomical observations. German archaeologists have put forward another hypothesis: pyramids are natural generators of earthly energy.

The Sphinx is the most mysterious and inexplicable business card Egypt. Thousands of travelers visit Egypt every year just to see this colossal thousand-year-old historical monument with their own eyes. Located on the western bank of the royal Nile in the ancient city of Giza, the Great Sphinx still remains the most mysterious and enigmatic sculpture, about which many stories and legends are formed.

It is still not known exactly in what year the construction of this huge monument with the figure of a lion and human face. It is also not known for certain what this sculpture was called in ancient Egypt. The word sphinx is Greek, the literal translation is “strangler.” IN Arabic sphinx means "progenitor or father of terror." This strange name also gave rise to many legends and speculations. The Great Sphinx guards the pyramids of the pharaohs, and scientists suggest that the sculpture is designed to instill terror and scare away tomb robbers.

A large sculpture guards the entrance to the burial pyramids of the pharaohs Menkaure and Khafre. The face, carved from limestone, according to legend belongs to Pharaoh Khafre. Another legend says that the sphinx is the god Horus, who daily greets his father, the sun god Ra, in the sky.

The ancient Greeks believed that the sphinx was a terrible and bloodthirsty monster, designed to protect the pyramids from the invasion of strangers. It is also assumed that mass sacrifices were carried out in honor of the gods inside the huge hollow sphinx more than 10 thousand years ago. And it was these bloody rituals that allowed the Sphinx to be known as the father of horror.

History of the Great Sphinx

The Great Sphinx, with a height of more than 20 meters, a width of more than 15 and a length of more than 70, is carved from monolithic rock. It is this method of creating the sculpture that prevents scientists from accurately determining the time of construction of the Sphinx. Corrosion from groundwater found on the inner walls of the sculpture helped determine the approximate age of the ancient monument - 10-13 thousand years. Egyptologists suggest that the Sphinx was erected by a completely disappeared civilization living on the territory of Ancient Egypt tens of thousands of years ago. Other traces of this civilization are hidden Mediterranean Sea after the next ice age, which completely changed the climate of modern Egypt.

Throughout its existence, the Sphinx was more than once completely buried under layers of sand. Many pharaohs tried to clean the sculpture. Thutmose the Fourth was able to partially free the monument from the sand, exposing the huge paws of the statue. A stele was installed between the paws, on which the words were carved that the cleaning of the sphinx from sand was a request of the god Ra, who promised the pharaoh a happy and long reign.

Over the years, the Sphinx has been restored and strengthened with stone blocks more than once. The face of the statue is very badly damaged; the nose and beard are missing. There are several opinions about who caused the damage. First of all, these are winds and sandstorms, which over time destroyed the stone. Deep chips and potholes on the sculpture and the absence of a nose are attributed to cannon strikes inflicted by the Mamelukes during the war between the Turks and the Napoleonic army.

Another legend says that in the 12th century the face of the statue was damaged by a Sufi fanatic, who was torn to pieces by a crowd in a fit of anger. At that time the Sphinx local residents was an idol, the king of the Nile, whose worship promised the inhabitants a harvest, prosperity and fertility.

The last large-scale excavations of the huge statue date back to the 20th century. It was in 1925 that the sculpture was completely freed from under the sand. In 2014, the Great Sphinx was once again restored and opened to tourists. Now the huge guardian of the pyramids can be seen at close range.

Video - Mysterious Sphinx

Sphinxes in Egyptian history

The Avenue of the Sphinxes connects the Luxor Temple with the Karnak Temple. The alley is a wide road made of limestone, on the sides of which there are eternal guards - sculptures with the body of a lion and the face of a man. Each sculpture is located on a low granite pedestal. After the restoration of the monuments, the Alley of Sphinxes has original lighting, which turns the road into an unusual and mysterious place.

Not so long ago, in 2010, during excavations in the Luxor Temple, another alley of sphinxes leading to the Nile was found. Scientists have found that a sacred boat was carried along this road to the river during various religious holidays.

Cairo or Egyptian Museum

In the huge building, located in the center of Cairo, you can find many valuables and ancient artifacts obtained during excavations of tombs and necropolises containing burials of the pharaohs. It is in this museum that you can find a large collection of sphinxes of various sizes, which were transported from various historical places Egypt. Even in front of the entrance to the museum building there is an eternal guard - a well-preserved sculpture of the sphinx.

Hotel Sphinx Aqua Park Beach Resort 5* Hurghada

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Several swimming pools located on site will provide pleasure for both adults and children. The hotel is located on the seafront, 100 meters from the beach.

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Table. Sphinx Aqua Park Beach Resort. Prices September 2015

The Great Sphinx, standing on the Giza plateau, is the most ancient and grandiose sculpture ever created by man. Its dimensions are impressive: the length is 72 m, the height is about 20 m, the nose was as tall as a person, and the face was 5 m in height.

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 gigantic sculpture was built.

The Sphinx is located on the western bank of the 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 equinox. The huge statue, made of monolithic limestone, a fragment of the base of the Giza plateau, represents the torso of a lion with the head of a man.

1. The Vanishing Sphinx

It is generally accepted 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 it. Moreover, we know that the ancient Egyptians meticulously recorded all the expenses associated with the construction of religious buildings, but economic documents related to the construction of the Sphinx have never 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 did not say a word about the Sphinx.
Before Herodotus, Hecataeus of Miletus visited Egypt, and after him Strabo. Their records are detailed, but there is no mention of the Sphinx there either. Could the Greeks have missed a 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, who mentions that in his time (1st century AD) the Sphinx in Once again cleared of sand deposited from the western part of the desert. Indeed, the Sphinx was regularly “freed” from sand deposits until the 20th century.

The purpose of creating the Great Sphinx is also unknown. Modern science believes that it had religious significance and preserved 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 by both its exact eastern orientation and the parameters encrypted in the proportions.

2. Older than the pyramids

Restoration work, which began to be carried out in connection with the emergency condition of the Sphinx, began to lead scientists to believe that the Sphinx may be older than previously thought. To check this, Japanese archaeologists, led by Professor Sakuji Yoshimura, first illuminated the Cheops pyramid using an echolocator, 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 in ancient times the Nile bed passed in a different place and washed the rock from which the Sphinx was hewn.
The guesses of hydrologists are even bolder: “Erosion is rather a trace not of the Nile, but of a 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 was 8 thousand years BC. e.

British scientists, repeating 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 Flood, which, according to most scientists, occurred around 8-10 thousand BC. e.

Enter text image

3. What is the Sphinx sick with?

Arab sages, amazed by the majesty of the Sphinx, said that the giant is timeless. But over the past millennia, the monument has suffered a fair amount, and, first of all, man is to blame for this.
At first, the Mamluks practiced shooting accuracy at the Sphinx; their initiative was supported by Napoleonic soldiers. One of the rulers of Egypt ordered the sculpture’s nose to be broken off, and the British stole the giant’s stone beard and took it to the British Museum.
In 1988, a huge block of stone broke off from the Sphinx and fell with a roar. They weighed her and were horrified - 350 kg. This fact has caused UNESCO the most serious concern. It was decided to gather a council of representatives from a variety of specialties to find out the reasons for the destruction of the ancient structure.

Over many millennia, the Sphinx was repeatedly buried under sand. Somewhere around 1400 BC. e. Pharaoh Thutmose IV, after a wonderful dream, ordered to dig up the Sphinx, installing a stele between the front paws of the lion in honor of this event. However, then only the paws and the front part of the statue were cleared of sand. Later, the giant sculpture was cleaned under the Romans and 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 Sphinx's paws were in no less deplorable condition.
According to experts, the Sphinx is primarily harmed by human activity: exhaust gases from 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.

4. Mysterious face
Among most Egyptologists, there is a firm belief that the appearance of the Sphinx depicts the face of the IV dynasty pharaoh Khafre. This confidence cannot be shaken by anything - neither by the absence of any evidence of a connection between the sculpture and the pharaoh, nor by the fact that the head of the Sphinx was repeatedly altered.
The well-known expert on Giza monuments, Dr. I. Edwards, is convinced that Pharaoh Khafre himself is visible in the face of 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 discovered, and therefore statues are used to compare the Sphinx and the pharaoh. First of all we're talking about about a sculpture carved from black diorite, which is kept in the Cairo Museum - it is from this that the appearance of the Sphinx is verified.
To confirm or refute the identification of the Sphinx with Khafre, a group of independent researchers involved the famous New York police officer Frank Domingo, who created portraits to identify suspects. After several months of work, Domingo concluded: “These two works of art depict two different individuals. The frontal proportions - and especially the angles and facial projections when viewed from the side - convince me that the Sphinx is not Khafre."

The ancient Egyptian name of the statue has not survived; the word “Sphinx” is Greek and is associated with the verb “to strangle”. The Arabs called the Sphinx "Abu el-Khoya" - "father of horror." There is an assumption that the ancient Egyptians called the sphinxes “seshep-ankh” - “the image of Being (Living)”, that is, the Sphinx was the embodiment of god on earth.

5. Mother of Fear

Egyptian archaeologist Rudwan Al-Shamaa believes that the Sphinx has a female couple and she is hidden under a layer of sand. The Great Sphinx is often called the "Father of Fear". According to the archaeologist, if there is a “Father of Fear,” then there must also 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 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.
The archaeologist gives several arguments in support of his theory. 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.

Now the Great Sphinx is badly damaged - its face is disfigured, the royal uraeus in the form of a cobra raised on its forehead has disappeared, and the festive shawl that hung from its head to its shoulders has partially broken off.

6.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 a secret place “ holy books”, which contain “the secrets of Osiris”, and then cast a spell on this place so that the knowledge would remain “undiscovered until Heaven gives birth to creatures who will be worthy of this gift.”
Some researchers are still confident in the existence of a “secret room”. They recall 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 humanity about a 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 a cavity of impressive size was found northwest of the Queen’s Chamber. However, more detailed study The Egyptian authorities did not allow the Japanese to conduct underground premises.
Research by American geophysicist Thomas Dobecki showed that under the paws of the Sphinx there is a large rectangular chamber. But in 1993, its work was suddenly suspended by local authorities. Since that time, the Egyptian government has officially prohibited 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 Napoleonic troops in Egypt. Now his loss is associated with the vandalism of a Muslim sheikh who tried to religious reasons destroy the statue, or by the Mamluks, who used the head of the statue as a target for their cannons. The beard was lost in the 19th century. Some of its fragments are kept in Cairo, some in the British Museum. TO 19th century, according to the descriptions, only the head and paws of the Sphinx were visible.