Egyptian sphinx story. The Great Sphinx in Egypt - the silent guardian of the pyramids

The Egyptian Sphinx hides many secrets and mysteries; no one knows for sure when and for what purposes this giant sculpture was built.

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", which mentions that in his time (1st century AD) the Sphinx was once again cleansed of sands deposited from the western part of the desert. Indeed, the Sphinx was regularly “freed” from sand deposits until the 20th century.

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 bed of the Nile 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.

What is sick with the Sphinx?

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. 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.

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 are talking 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."

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.

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 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, 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 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. The largest statue in Egypt is the Sphinx. Legends of Egypt. History of the Sphinx.

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

Monument in numbers

The Egyptian Sphinx is known to each 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. Symbol of power royalty located on the Giza plateau on the western coast of the Nile River and surrounded by a wide and fairly deep ditch. The Sphinx's thoughtful gaze is directed to the east, towards the point in the heavens where the Sun rises. The monument was covered by sand many times and was 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 statue: facts versus legends

In Egypt, the Sphinx is considered the most mysterious and mystical monument. Its history has attracted great interest and special attention from historians, writers, directors and researchers for many years. Everyone who has had the chance to touch eternity, which the statue represents, offers their own version of its origin. Locals The stone landmark is called 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 goes back more than 13 centuries. Presumably, it was built in order to record an astronomical phenomenon - the reunion of three planets.

Origin myth

There is still 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 down orally and told to tourists. The fact that the Sphinx is the oldest and largest monument in Egypt gives rise to mysterious and absurd stories about it. There is an assumption that the statue guards the tombstones of the greatest pharaohs - the pyramids of Cheops, Mikerin and Khafre. Another legend says that the stone statue symbolizes the personality of Pharaoh Khafre, the third - that it is a statue of the god Horus (god of the sky, half-man, half-falcon), watching the ascent of his father, the Sun God Ra.

Legends

IN ancient Greek mythology The Sphinx is mentioned as an ugly monster. According to the Greeks, the legends of Ancient Egypt about this monster sound like this: a creature with the body of a lion and the head of a man was born by Echidna and Typhon (a half-snake woman and a giant with a hundred dragon heads). It had the face and breasts 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 creature moves on four legs in the morning, on two in the afternoon, and on 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 person in childhood, maturity and old age,” he answered. After this, 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 a God. One day, the heavenly ruler fell into an insidious trap of the sands, called the “cage of oblivion,” and fell asleep in an eternal sleep.

Real facts

Despite the mysterious overtones 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 construction of the pyramids was gleaned, there is not a single mention of a stone statue. The names of the architects and builders who created the grandiose tombs for the pharaohs are known, but the name of the person who gave the world the Sphinx of Egypt still remains unknown.

True, several centuries after the creation of the pyramids, the first facts about the statue appeared. The Egyptians call her “shepes ankh” - “living image”. No more information and scientific explanation Scientists could not give these words to the world. But at the same time, the cult image of the mysterious Sphinx - a winged maiden-monster - 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 ancient Egypt about 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, over what time and how many slaves were involved in their construction. The narrative of the “father of history” even touched upon such nuances as the feeding of slaves. But, oddly enough, Herodotus never mentioned the stone Sphinx in his work. The fact of the construction of the monument was also not discovered in any of the subsequent records.

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

First "restoration"

Judging by the inscription left on the stone stele between the monster’s paws, Pharaoh Thutmose I spent a year liberating the monument. Ancient writings say that, as 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 release of the statue from the sand trap. After some time, Thutmose successfully became pharaoh and remembered his promise to the deity. He ordered not only to dig up the giant, but also to restore it. Thus, the first revival of the Egyptian legend occurred in the 15th century. BC. It was then that the world learned about grandiose building and a unique cult monument in 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 liberated from the sands in 1925. To this day, the statue has to be cleaned after sandstorms, as it is an important tourist site.

Why is the monument missing a nose?

Despite the antiquity of the sculpture, it has practically been preserved in its original form, embodying the Sphinx. Egypt (photo of the monument is presented above) managed to preserve its architectural masterpiece, but failed to protect it from the barbarity of people. The statue has no this moment nose Scientists suggest that one of the pharaohs, for a reason unknown to science, ordered the nose of the statue to be knocked off. According to other sources, the monument was damaged by Napoleon's army by firing a cannon at its face. The British chopped off the monster’s beard and transported it to their museum.

However, the later discovered notes of the historian Al-Makrizi dated 1378 say that the stone statue no longer had a nose. According to him, one of the Arabs, wanting to atone for religious sins (The Koran prohibited the image human faces), broke off the giant's nose. In response to such an atrocity and desecration of the Sphinx, the sands began to take revenge on the 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 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 acrid factory smoke, a significant part of the stone block (350 kg) broke off from the monument. UNESCO, concerned appearance and the state of tourism and cultural site, resumed repairs, thereby opening the way for new research. As a result of a careful 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 finding was a stunning discovery for historians, who had assumed that the pyramid, Sphinx and other funerary structures were contemporary. The second, no less surprising discovery was a long narrow tunnel discovered under the left paw of the predator, connected to the Cheops pyramid.

After Japanese archaeologists, hydrologists took up the most ancient monument. They found traces of erosion on his body from a large water flow 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 Nile flood - a biblical catastrophe that occurred about 8-12 thousand years ago. American researcher John Anthony West explained the signs of water erosion on the lion's body and their absence on the head as evidence that the Sphinx existed back in the days ice age and dates back to any period before 15 thousand 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 destruction 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 an immortal image of the Past.

Ancient Egyptians' worship of 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 located between his paws, burned incense, receiving from the giant a silent blessing for the kingdom and throne. The Sphinx was for them not only the embodiment of the Sun God, but also a sacred image that granted them hereditary and legitimate power from their ancestors. He personified powerful Egypt, the history of the country was reflected in his majestic appearance, 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 sculpture

According to the 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 pharaohs. The huge lion is located among other majestic structures on the stone plateau of Giza - three pyramids. Astronomical studies have shown that the location of the statue was chosen not by blind inspiration, but in accordance with the point of intersection of the path of the celestial bodies. It served as an equatorial point indicating the exact location on the horizon of the sunrise location on the day spring 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 ground in exactly the same order as the three stars of Orion's Belt in the sky that year. According to legend, the Sphinx and the pyramids recorded the position of the stars, the astronomical time, which the ancient Egyptians called first. Since the heavenly personification of the god Osiris, who ruled at that time, was Orion, man-made structures were built to depict the stars of his belt, in order to perpetuate and record 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 with their own eyes the legendary stone sculpture, shrouded in the darkness of centuries-old history and many mystical legends. The interest of all mankind in it is due to the fact that the secret of the creation of the statue remained unsolved, buried under the sands. It's hard to imagine how many secrets the Sphinx holds. Egypt (photos of the monument and pyramids can be seen on any tourist portal) can be proud of its great history, outstanding people, grandiose monuments, the truth about which their creators took with them to the kingdom of Anubis, the god of death. The huge stone Sphinx is great and impressive, the history of which remains unsolved and full of secrets. The statue’s calm gaze is still directed into the distance and its appearance is still imperturbable. For how many centuries has he been a silent witness to human suffering, the vanity of rulers, the sorrows and troubles that befell the Egyptian land? How many secrets does the Great Sphinx keep? Unfortunately, no answers have been found to all these questions over the years.

What is sick with the Sphinx?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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” that contain “the secrets of Osiris” in a secret place, and then cast a spell on this place so that knowledge would remain “undiscovered until Heaven will not give birth to creatures who will be worthy of this gift.”

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, 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 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.

Older than civilization

First, in 1991, a geology professor from Boston conducted an analysis of the erosion of the surface of the Sphinx and concluded that the age of the Sphinx must be at least 9,500 thousand years old, that is, the Sphinx is at least 5,000 years older than scientists thought! Secondly, Robert Bauval, using modern technologies computer modeling, discovered that about 12,500 years ago (11th century BC), in the early morning, the constellation Leo was clearly visible rising directly above the site where the Sphinx was built. He logically assumed that the sphinx, which closely resembles a Lion, was built on this site as a symbol of this event. Well, the third nail in the coffin of views official science scored by police artist Frank Domingo, who drew identikit photographs. He stated that the Sphinx has nothing in common with the face of Pharaoh Khafre. So now we could safely say that the Sphinx was built long before any civilization known to science.

Huge voids under the sphinx

Of course, all these discoveries and statements could have been hidden under a thick layer of dust in scientific offices, but then, as luck would have it, Japanese researchers came to Egypt. It was 1989, then a group of scientists from Waseda, led by Professor Sakuji Yoshimura, using modern electromagnetic radar instruments, discovered tunnels and rooms directly under the sphinx. Immediately after their discovery, the Egyptian authorities intervened in the research, and Yoshimura's group was deported from Egypt for life. The same discovery was repeated in the same year by Thomas Dobecki, an American geophysicist. True, he only managed to explore a small area under the right paw of the sphinx, after which he was also promptly expelled from Egypt.

Three very strange events

In 1993, a robot was sent into a small tunnel (20x20 cm) that led from the burial chamber of the Cheops pyramid, which found inside this same tunnel a wooden door with brass handles, into which it safely rested. Next, for 10 years, scientists developed a new robot with the goal of opening the door. And in 2003 they launched it into the same tunnel. It must be admitted that he successfully opened the door, and behind it the already narrow tunnel began to narrow even more. The robot could not drive further, but in the distance it saw another door. A new robot, with the purpose of opening the second “flap”, was launched in 2013. After which tourist access to the pyramids was finally closed, and all research results were classified. Since then there has been no official news.

Secret city

But there are many unofficial ones, one of which is actively lobbied and promoted by the American Cayce Foundation (the same one, by the way, that allegedly predicted the discovery of a certain secret room under the Sphinx). According to their version, in 2013 they finally drove through the second door of the tunnel, after which a stone slab with hieroglyphs rose from the ground between the front paws of the sphinx with hieroglyphs that told about the room under the sphinx and a certain Hall of Evidence. As a result of excavations, the Egyptians found themselves in this very first room, which turned out to be a kind of hallway. From there, the researchers went down to the tier below and found themselves in a round hall from which three tunnels led to the Great Pyramid. But then there are some very strange data. Allegedly, in one of the tunnels the road was blocked by known to science an energy field that three certain great people were able to remove. After which a 12-story building was discovered, going underground. The dimensions of this structure are truly grandiose and more reminiscent of a city than a building - 10 kilometers wide and 13 kilometers long. In addition, the Casey Foundation claims that the Egyptians were hiding a certain Rod of Thoth - an archaeological artifact of world significance, which supposedly possesses the power of technologies unknown to mankind.

More questions than answers

Of course, at first glance, the theory of Cayce's followers seems complete nonsense. And everything would have been so if the Egyptian government had not partially confirmed the discovery of someone underground city. It is clear that about some energy force fields no information was received from official authorities. Also, the Egyptian authorities did not recognize the fact that they did get into the city, therefore, what was found there is also unknown. But the fact of recognition of the discovery of an underground city remains. So the sphinx makes wishes for people new riddle, and we can only make every effort to solve it.

“The purpose of the Sphinx is becoming a little clearer today. The Atlanteans of Egypt built it as a grandiose sculpture, the greatest memorial statue and dedicated it to their bright god - the Sun." — Paul Brighton.

“The pile of cobblestones left by the builders of the Great Pyramids during the quarrying of the stones turned in the time of Khafre (Cheops) into a huge reclining lion with the head of a man.” — I. E. S. Edwards.

These passages illustrate polar opinions about the Great Sphinx: from mystical perception to cold pragmatism. The statue, which has been buried in the sand for centuries, has always been shrouded in an aura of mystery, giving rise to speculation regarding the age of the Sphinx, the purpose and method of its creation, the existence inside hidden chambers, as well as the prophetic gift of the statue and its connection with the equally mysterious pyramids.

Mostly such theories were put forward by desperate Egyptologists and archaeologists, who tried in vain to single-handedly uncover the secrets of the Sphinx. Probably the national symbol of ancient and modern Egypt, standing like a sentry on the plateau at Giza, has played the same role at all times: century after century it has excited the imagination of poets, scientists, mystics, travelers and tourists. The Sphinx of Giza contains the entire essence of Egypt.

Facing the rising sun, the Great Sphinx sculpture is located on the Giza plateau, 6 miles west of Cairo on west bank Nila. The Egyptian government considers him to be the incarnation of the sun god, whom the Egyptians call Hor-Em-Akhet (Horus in the sky). The Sphinx occupies part of the territory of the necropolis in ancient Memphis - the residence of the pharaohs, where the three largest Egyptian pyramids — Great Pyramid Khufu (Cheops), Khafre (Chephren) and Menkaure (Mycerinus). The monument is the largest surviving sculpture of the ancient world - 241 feet long and 65 feet high at its highest point.

Part of the uraeus (a sacred snake that protects from evil forces), his nose and ritual beard were destroyed over time. The beard is now kept in the British Museum. The elongated element on the sphinx's forehead is a fragment of the royal headdress. Although the head of the sphinx has been subject to the harmful effects of erosion for thousands of years, traces of the paint with which it was originally covered can still be seen near the ear of the statue. It is believed that the Sphinx's face was once painted in burgundy color. A small temple located between its paws houses a dozen painted steles erected in honor of the Sun God.

The Sphinx has suffered greatly from the ravages of time, human activity and pollution. environment Nowadays. In fact, it was saved from complete destruction by a long stay in the sand. Over the centuries-old history of the monument, many attempts have been made to reconstruct the statue. They began back in 1400 BC. e., during the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose IV.

Once, after a hunt, the pharaoh dozed off in the shadow of the sphinx, and he dreamed that the huge beast was suffocating from the sand absorbing the statue. In a dream, the sphinx told the pharaoh that if he pulled out the beast and cleansed it of sand, he would receive the crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. Today, between the front paws of the sphinx, you can see a granite stele called the Stele of Dreams, on which the legend of the pharaoh's dream is recorded.

Although the sculpture was cleared, it soon found itself back in the sand. When Napoleon arrived in Egypt in 1798, the Sphinx was already without a nose. However, the nose disappeared long before Napoleon’s arrival, as depicted in 18th-century paintings. One legend says that the nose was broken during a bombardment during the period of Turkish rule. According to another version, probably more plausible), in the 8th century. he was knocked down with a chisel by a Sufi who considered the Sphinx a pagan idol.

In 1858, the founder of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, Auguste Mariette, began excavating the sculpture, but only part of it was cleared. In 1925-1936 French engineer Emile Barèse, acting on behalf of the Antiquities Service, completed the excavation of the Sphinx. And, probably, for the first time since the days of the legendary Ancient Egypt, the sculpture became available for public viewing.

Most Egyptologists prefer to explain the riddle of the Great Sphinx as follows: the sculpture belongs to Khafre, the pharaoh of the IV dynasty. The image of a lion carved in stone with the face of Khafre himself was created in 2540, around the same time when the nearby pyramid of Khafre was erected. However, not a single inscription has yet been found confirming Khafre’s connection with the sphinx, nor any records about the time and purpose of creating the sculpture.

Considering the grandeur of the monument, such a fact seems rather strange and mysterious. Although not all Egyptologists agree with the traditional version, no one can say for sure when and by whom the Sphinx was erected. In 1996, a New York City detective and identification expert concluded that the Great Sphinx did not resemble Khafre, but rather resembled his elder father, Djedefre. Discussions on this matter are ongoing.

The unresolved question of the origin and purpose of the creation of the Sphinx gave rise to the emergence of more and more new versions of a mystical nature, such as the theory of the British occultist Paul Brighton or the version of the American medium and seer Edgar Cayce, put forward in the 40s of the 20th century. While in a trance, Case predicted that under the sphinx's front paws a chamber would be discovered containing a collection of manuscripts about the lives of those who survived the destruction of Atlantis.

The Great Sphinx was carved from soft limestone left over from a quarry used to build the pyramids. The paws were created separately from limestone blocks. One of the main features of the sculpture is that its head is not proportional to the body. Perhaps it was remade several times, changing the face of the sphinx at the direction of each subsequent pharaoh.

From the stylistic features it can be determined that it is unlikely that changes were made after the Late Kingdom period, which ended around 2181 BC. e. It is likely that the head originally depicted a ram or a falcon and was converted into a human one later. The restoration work carried out over thousands of years to preserve the head of the sphinx may also have transformed or altered the proportions of the face.

Any of these explanations could cause a change in the size of the head compared to the body, especially if we assume that the Great Sphinx is much older than traditional science believes.
IN Lately There is lively debate regarding the dating of the monument. The author of one of the versions, John Anthony West, was the first to draw attention to the fact that the surface of the Sphinx was exposed to the forces of nature - and in to a greater extent suffered from water erosion than from wind and sand.

However, other structures on the plateau did not experience such a glow. West turned to geologists, and Boston University professor Robert Schoch, after studying the latest findings, confirmed that these were the results of water erosion. Although Egypt's climate is arid today, about 10,000 years ago it was humid and rainy. West and Schoch concluded that the Sphinx must have existed 7,000 to 10,000 years ago to have been subject to water erosion. Egyptologists rejected Schoch's theory, considering it incorrect. They argued that the once-frequent thunderstorms in Egypt had ceased long before the appearance of the Sphinx.

A serious approach to the matter raises the question: why were no other traces of water erosion found on the Giza Plateau that could confirm the theory of West and Schoch? It couldn't rain just above the sphinx. West and Schoch were also criticized for not taking into account high level industrial pollution of the local atmosphere, which has had a devastating effect on the monuments of Giza for the last hundred years.

The author of another version about the time of creation and purpose of the Sphinx is Robert Bauvel. In the 1989s. He published a paper in which he hypothesized that the three Great Pyramids of Giza, together with the Nile, create on earth a kind of three-dimensional hologram of the three stars of Orion's belt and the nearby Milky Way.

Based on Graham Hancock's version, set out in the famous book "Traces of the Gods", Bauvel put forward the theory that the Sphinx, and the nearby pyramids, and all kinds of ancient manuscripts are components some astronomical map associated with the constellation Orion. He concluded that the best way Such a hypothetical map corresponded to the position of the stars in 10,500 BC. e., discarding the version that the Sphinx was created in more ancient times.

There are many legends about unusual phenomena, in one way or another connected with the Great Sphinx. Researchers at Florida State University, Waseda University in Japan and Boston University used ultra-sensitive technology to find a number of anomalies in the atmosphere above the site. However, these phenomena could also be natural character. In 1995, during renovation work in the parking lot near the statue, several tunnels and passages were discovered, two of which went deep underground next to the sphinx. Bauvel suggested that the passages were created at the same time as the statue.

In 1991 - 1993 A group of researchers led by Anthony West, studying traces of erosion on the monument using a seismograph, discovered something strange: holes, cavities or chambers of the correct shape were found several meters below the surface of the earth between the paws of the statue, as well as on the other side of the Sphinx sculpture. However, to carry out further research the expedition did not receive permission. The question arises: maybe there is a grain of truth in Edgar Cayce's prediction regarding the collection of manuscripts?

Today, the great statue is crumbling from the winds, humidity and Cairo smog.

In 1950, development of large-scale and expensive project restoration and conservation of the monument. The first attempts to restore the monument led to even greater destruction, since cement, incompatible with limestone, was used to restore the structure. For six or even more years of reconstruction, about 2000 limestone blocks were used, various chemical substances, but efforts were in vain. By 1988, the blocks on the left shoulder of the sphinx had collapsed.

Currently, attempts are ongoing to restore the statue under the strict supervision of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Restorers are trying to restore the destroyed shoulder using part of the subsoil. Thus, today all attention is focused on preserving the monument, rather than carrying out excavations and further research. We can only wait. It will still be a long time before the Great Sphinx reveals her secrets.

B.Haughton
"Great secrets and mysteries of history"

The Great Sphinx, standing on the plateau at Giza, is a subject of debate among scientists, the object of numerous legends, assumptions and speculation. Who built it, when, why? There is no definite answer to any question. Blown by the sands of time, the Sphinx has kept its secret for many millennia.

It is carved from solid limestone rock. It is believed that she stood nearby and with her shape already resembled a sleeping lion. The length of the Sphinx is 72 meters, height - 20. The nose, which has been missing for a long time, was one and a half meters long.

Today the statue represents a lion lying in the sand, but some historians suggest that initially the sculpture was entirely of a lion, and one of the pharaohs decided to depict his face on the statue. Hence some disproportions between the huge body and the relatively small head. But this version is just a guess.

There are no papers at all preserved about the Sphinx. Ancient Egyptian papyri telling about the construction of the pyramids have survived. But there is not a single word about the lion statue. The first mentions in papyri can be found only at the beginning of our era. Where it is said that the Sphinx was once cleared of sand.

Purpose

Most scientists agree that the Sphinx guards the eternal peace of the pharaohs. In Ancient Egypt, the lion was considered a symbol of power and guardian of sacred places. Some believe that the Sphinx was also a religious object; the entrance to the temple supposedly began at its paws.

Other answers are sought based on the location of the statue. It is turned towards the Nile and looks strictly east. Therefore, there is an option that the Sphinx is associated with the Sun God. The ancient inhabitants could worship him, bring gifts here, and ask for a good harvest.

It is unknown what the ancient Egyptians themselves called the statue. There is an assumption that “Seshep-ankh” is “an image of the Existing or Living.” That is, he was the embodiment of the divine on earth. In the Middle Ages, the Arabs called the sculpture “Father or King of Terror and Fear.” The word “sphinx” itself is Greek and literally translates as “strangler.” Some historians make assumptions based on the name. In their opinion, there is emptiness inside the sphinx, people were tortured, tortured, killed there, hence the “father of horror” and the “strangler”. But this is just a guess, one of many.

Sphinx face

Who is immortalized in stone? The most official version is Pharaoh Khafre. During the construction of his pyramid, stone blocks of the same dimensions were used as in the construction of the Sphinx. Plus, not far from the statue they found an image of Khafre.

But even here, not everything is so obvious. An American expert compared the face from the image and the face of the Sphinx; finding no similarities, he came to the conclusion that these were portraits of completely different people.

Whose face does the Sphinx have? There are many versions. For example, Queen Cleopatra, god rising sun– Horus, or one of the rulers of Atlantis. Proponents of this theory believe that the entire ancient Egyptian civilization was the work of the Atlanteans.

When was it built?

There is no answer to this question either. Official version- in 2500 BC. This exactly coincides with the reign of Pharaoh Khafre and the unprecedented dawn of ancient Egyptian civilization.

Japanese scientists used echolocators to study internal state sculptures. Their discovery was a real sensation. The stones of the Sphinx were processed much earlier than the stones of the pyramids. Hydrologists joined the work. On the body of the Sphinx they found significant traces of water erosion; on the head they were not so large.

Therefore, experts came to the conclusion that the Sphinx was built when the climate in these places was different: it rained and there were floods. And this is 10, according to other sources, 15 thousand years before our era.

The sands of time do not spare

Time and people have not been kind to the Great Sphinx. In the Middle Ages, it was a training target for the Mamluks, Egypt's military caste. Either they broke off the nose, or it was an order from a certain ruler, or it was done by one religious fanatic, who was then torn apart by the crowd. It’s not clear how one can destroy a one and a half meter nose alone.

Once upon a time the sphinx was blue or purple. A little paint remains in the ear area. He had a beard - now it is an exhibit in the British and Cairo Museums. The royal headdress - the uraeus, which was decorated with a cobra on the forehead, did not survive at all.

The sands sometimes completely covered the statue. In 1400 BC, the Sphinx, by order of Pharaoh Thutmose IV, was cleaned for a year. We managed to free the front legs and part of the body. A plaque was then installed at the foot of the sculpture about this event; it can still be seen today.

The statue was freed from sand by the Romans, Greeks, and Arabs. But she was swallowed up again and again by the sands of time. The Sphinx was completely cleaned only in 1925.

A few more mysteries and speculations

It is believed that under the Sphinx there are certain passages, tunnels and even a huge library with ancient books. In the late 80s and early 90s, American and Japanese scientists, using special equipment, discovered several corridors and a certain cavity under the Sphinx. But Egyptian authorities stopped the research. Since 1993, any geological or radar work has been prohibited here.

Experts hope to find not only secret rooms. The ancient Egyptians built everything on the principle of symmetry, and one lion looks somehow unusual. There is a theory that somewhere nearby, under a thick layer of sand, another Sphinx is hidden, only female.

Having heard the combination of the words “Ancient Egypt”, many will immediately imagine majestic pyramids and the large Sphinx - it is with them that a mysterious civilization separated from us by several millennia is associated. Let's get to know interesting facts about 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 ancient Greece you can meet a similar creature - beautiful woman with wings. In Egypt, these creatures were most often male. The sphinx with the face of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut is famous. Having received the throne and pushed aside the rightful heir, this powerful woman tried to rule like a man, even wearing a special false beard. Therefore, it is not surprising that many statues of this time have 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 discovered near such structures. Thus, in the temple of the supreme deity, solar Amun, approximately 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. The material used for creation was limestone, which was quite abundant in the Country of the Pyramids.

Description

The ancient Egyptians depicted the Sphinx like this:

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 this appearance is not the only option for depicting a mythological creature. Modern finds prove that there were other species, for example with a head:

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

So, answering the question about what a sphinx is, it should be pointed out that it is a statue with the body of a lion and the head of another creature (usually a person, a ram), which was installed in close proximity from temples.

The most famous sphinxes

The tradition of creating very original statues with human head and the lion's body was characteristic of the Egyptians for a long time. So, the first of them appeared during the fourth dynasty of the pharaohs, that is, around 2700-2500. BC e. Interestingly, the first representative was female and portrayed Queen Hetethera the Second. This statue has reached us; anyone can look at 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.

No less famous is the famous Avenue of the Sphinxes near the Temple of Amun in Luxor.

Greatest value

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

A giant with a lion's body is located on a plateau in Giza (not far from the capital modern state, Cairo) and is part of a mortuary complex that also includes the three great pyramids. It was carved from a monolithic block and is the largest structure for which solid stone was used.

Even the age of this is controversial outstanding monument, although an analysis of the rock 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 legend says, by the barbaric actions of the soldiers of Napoleon's army, most likely depicts Pharaoh Khafre.
The giant's face is turned to the east, which is where 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, are amazing: length - more than 55 meters, width - about 20 meters, shoulder width - more than 11 meters.
Previously, the ancient sphinx was painted, as evidenced by the surviving remains of paint: red, blue and yellow.
The statue also had a beard, typical of the kings of Egypt. It has survived to this day, although separately from the sculpture - it is kept in the British Museum.

The giant found himself buried under the sand several times and was dug up. Perhaps it was the protection of the sand that helped the Sphinx survive the destructive influence of natural disasters.

Changes

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

Initially, the figure had a traditional pharaonic headdress, decorated with a sacred cobra, but it was completely destroyed.
The statue also lost its false beard.
Damage to the nose has already been mentioned. Some blame the shelling of Napoleon's army for this, others blame the actions Turkish soldiers. There is also a version that the protruding part was damaged by wind and humidity.

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 under the giant monument there are three underground passages. 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. Thus, her face and head retained traces of the influence of the water element, which is why the hypothesis arose 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 by 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 in detail everything on papyri - from conquests and the construction of temples to the collection of taxes. However, not a single scroll was found that contained information about the construction of the monument. Perhaps these documents simply have 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 works of Pliny the Elder, which talks about the work of excavating the sculpture from sand.

Majestic monument 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 ancient Egyptian. They tried to dig out the 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 has been preserved (the so-called “Dream Stele”), which tells that one day the pharaoh had a dream in which the god Ra ordered him to cleanse the statue of sand, in return promising power over the entire state.

Dig later Egyptian Sphinx conqueror Ramses II also commanded. Attempts were then made in early XIX and XX centuries.

Now let's see how our contemporaries are trying to preserve this cultural heritage. The figure was carefully analyzed, all the cracks were identified, the monument was closed to the public and 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 riddles. 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.