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

Disappearing Sphinx

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

In the 5th century BC e. The pyramids of Giza were visited by Herodotus, who described in detail all the details of their construction. He wrote down "everything he saw and heard in Egypt", but he did not say a word about the Sphinx.

Before Herodotus, Hecateus of Miletus visited Egypt, after him - Strabo. Their records are detailed, but there is no mention of the Sphinx there either. Could the Greeks fail to notice the sculpture 20 meters high and 57 meters wide?
The answer to this riddle can be found in the work of the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder "Natural History", which mentions that in his time (1st century AD) the Sphinx was once again cleared of the sands applied from the western part of the desert. Indeed, the Sphinx was regularly "liberated" from sand drifts until the 20th century.

ancient pyramids

Restoration work, which began to be carried out in connection with the emergency state of the Sphinx, began to suggest to scientists that the Sphinx may be older than previously thought. To test this, Japanese archaeologists, led by Professor Sakuji Yoshimura, first illuminated the pyramid of Cheops with an echo sounder, and then examined the sculpture in a similar way. Their conclusion struck - the stones of the Sphinx are older than those of the pyramid. It was not about the age of the breed itself, but about the time of its processing.

Later, the Japanese were replaced by a team of hydrologists - their findings also became a sensation. On the sculpture, they found traces of erosion caused by large flows of water. The first assumption that appeared in the press was that in ancient times the bed of the Nile passed in a different place and washed the rock from which the Sphinx was carved.
The guesses of hydrologists are even bolder: "Erosion is more likely not the traces of the Nile, but the flood - a mighty flood of water." Scientists came to the conclusion that the flow of water went from north to south, and the approximate date of the disaster is 8 thousand years BC. e.

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

What is wrong with the Sphinx?

The Arab sages, struck by the majesty of the Sphinx, said that the giant is timeless. But over the past millennia, the monument has suffered a lot, and, first of all, the person is to blame for this.
At first, the Mamluks practiced accuracy of shooting at the Sphinx, their initiative was supported by Napoleonic soldiers. One of the rulers of Egypt ordered to beat off the nose of the sculpture, and the British stole a stone beard from the giant and took it to the British Museum.

In 1988, a huge stone block broke away from the Sphinx and fell with a roar. She was weighed and horrified - 350 kg. This fact caused the most serious concern of UNESCO. It was decided to assemble a council of representatives of various specialties in order to find out the reasons that destroy the ancient structure.
As a result of a comprehensive examination, scientists discovered hidden and extremely dangerous cracks in the head of the Sphinx, in addition, they found that external cracks sealed with low-quality cement are also dangerous - this creates a threat of rapid erosion. The paws of the Sphinx were in no less deplorable condition.

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

Mysterious face

Among most Egyptologists, there is a firm belief that the face of the pharaoh of the IV dynasty Khafre is imprinted in the appearance of the Sphinx. This confidence cannot be shaken by anything - neither by the absence of any evidence of the connection between the sculpture and the pharaoh, nor by the fact that the head of the Sphinx was repeatedly remade.
The well-known expert on the monuments of Giza, Dr. I. Edwards, is convinced that Pharaoh Khafre himself peeps through the Sphinx. “Although the face of the Sphinx is somewhat mutilated, it still gives us a portrait of Khafre himself,” the scientist concludes.
Interestingly, the body of Khafre himself was never found, and therefore statues are used to compare the Sphinx and the pharaoh. First of all, we are talking about a sculpture carved from black diorite, which is stored in the Cairo Museum - it is on it that the appearance of the Sphinx is verified.

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

mother of fear

The Egyptian archaeologist Rudwan Ash-Shamaa believes that the Sphinx has a female couple and it is hidden under a layer of sand. The Great Sphinx is often referred to as the "Father of Fear". According to the archaeologist, if there is a "Father of fear", then there must be a "Mother of fear".
In his reasoning, Al-Shamaa relies on the way of thinking of the ancient Egyptians, who firmly followed the principle of symmetry. In his opinion, the lonely figure of the Sphinx looks very strange.

The surface of the place where, according to the scientist's assumption, the second sculpture should be located, rises several meters above the Sphinx. “It is logical to assume that the statue is simply hidden from our eyes under a layer of sand,” Al-Shamaa is convinced.
In support of his theory, the archaeologist gives several arguments. Ash-Shamaa recalls that between the front paws of the Sphinx there is a granite stele, on which two statues are depicted; there is also a limestone tablet that says that one of the statues was struck by lightning and destroyed it.

Chamber of Secrets

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

Research by American geophysicist Thomas Dobecki showed that under the paws of the Sphinx is a large rectangular chamber. But in 1993, his work was suddenly suspended by local authorities. Since that time, the Egyptian government officially forbids geological or seismological research around the Sphinx.

Above the tombs of the pharaohs, the Egyptians erected statues of sphinxes. In the suburbs of Cairo is the most ancient on the planet of the Great Egyptian Sphinx. The statue is carved from limestone and depicts a huge lion with a human face.

The history of the appearance of the statue

The monument of the Egyptian Sphinx is located near the pyramid of Cheops. Between the paws of the statue there is an inscription announcing that the monument is a copy of the sun god - Khamarkis. According to one version, the face of the statue is made in the likeness of Pharaoh Khafre. It was created during his reign - 2520-2494 BC. e.

Many years later, the statue was discovered under a mound of sand and restored by Pharaoh Thutmose IV. There are legends among the Egyptians about the ability of the sphinx statue not only to protect the tombs and souls of the dead, but also to move around.

The Sphinx changes its location when it is dissatisfied with something - the government or the attitude towards itself. He goes into the desert, where he burrows deep into the sand. The pharaoh dreamed of God and said that his body was covered with sand and asked for help, indicating the exact location of the statue. During the excavations, a statue was discovered, the severed head of which rested peacefully between its paws.

The steps leading up to the statue were built much later, during the time of the Roman Empire. The Romans were engaged in the reconstruction of most of the Egyptian monuments. When a notch was found on the head of the statue, people thought that this was a secret entrance to the pyramid, but in fact it turned out that this was the place where the headdress was lost in a sandstorm.

Previously, it was believed that secret passages were built in the sphinx, but after lengthy research, it was possible to prove that the body was built from a rocky ledge, and the front part consists of separate stone parts.

Pedestal dimensions:

• length - 73.5 m;
• height - 20 m.

The material of the statue was examined by introducing metal pipes inside. Detailed analyzes made it possible to determine the composition of the remains of mumillites - marine life tiny sizes.

This proves that the rock for the statue was brought to this place with the help of an unknown transport facility. The second version says that the monument was built from a local rock, which, according to external data, was similar to the sphinx initially.

The Sphinx was considered a portal between our world and the Great Pyramid. Between the paws of the statue there was an entrance, and inside there was a labyrinth, wandering through which, a person came to the starting point. The location of the correct moves was known to the Egyptian priests.

In the labyrinth, travelers were looking for a bronze door that opens mysterious world pyramids and the key to the wisdom of the gods. Evidence of its existence has not been found. If we assume that the door was, then it is littered with debris and sand, because over time the statue was badly damaged.

The sculpture has come down to us in a disfigured form. Her nose was beaten off by conquering Muslims so that the faithful would abandon idolatry, and traces of red paint are barely visible on her face. For the Egyptians, the statue remained a symbol of wisdom and the personification of physical strength.

Place of the Sphinx in Greek Mythology

In mythology Ancient Greece, sphinx - a creature that was depicted as a half-woman half-lion with the wings of a bird. Demoness-strangler personified the inevitability of fate, human suffering and torment. In some legends, Tryphon and Echidna became her parents, in others - Chimera and Orff.

Hera sent a sphinx to Thebes to devastate the territories and punish Laem for seducing Chryssip. Another version says that the creature was sent by Ares to Thebes to avenge the slain dragon. The creature chose to live in a cave on a mountain near the city gates of the city. The sphinx gave each traveler the task of guessing a riddle. People who did not cope with the task, she killed. Many noble Thebans became its victims, among them - the son of King Creon, Haemon.

Oedipus solved the riddle. After that, the Sphinx threw herself off the mountain in despair. This is the interpretation according to Euripides. Aeschylus presented the story differently. In his version, the Sphinx herself guessed the riddle of Silenus. The ancient Boeotian version of the story describes a monster called Fix. It swallowed its victims and lived on Mount Fikion. During a fierce battle, a ferocious creature was killed by Oedipus.

Sphinxes in other nations

The mythical creature occupied a certain place in the mythology of the Persians, Assyrians and Phoenicians. In their legends, the creature is depicted in male form with a beard and long curly hair. A little later, the image was modernized and in the legends they began to mention female and male individuals. Here the sphinxes were revered for their wisdom.

Sphinxes have centuries of knowledge, speak all languages ​​and own forgotten types of magic. They are presented as adepts in the use of spells in magical rituals. Creatures love jewelry and books.

The males are described as large beings with great physical strength. In a fit of anger, challenging, the sphinx emits a deafening roar that can be heard for hundreds of miles around. Females are much smarter, endowed with wisdom, tend to help people. They patronize poets and philosophers.

Sphinx in Egyptian mythology

The true purpose of the Egyptian Sphinx:

• guard the house of the gods;
• teach people wisdom;
• indicate the right path to knowledge;
• personify the god Harmachis on earth.

God Harmachis is one of the incarnations of the young Ra. The parents of the divine essence were Osiris and Isis. Set killed Osiris even before the conception of Harmachis, but his wife, with the help of magic, brought him back to life. A little later, Set dismembered Osiris, scattered his remains around the world, in the hope that Isis would not be able to resurrect him anymore. The goddess had to hide from Set in the swamps of the Nile for a long time in order to keep the child in the womb.

At the moment of the birth of the deity, a red star lit up in the sky. The mother protected her child with magic until he came of age. Throughout his childhood and youth, Harmakhis successfully studied and gave knowledge to others. At the age of 30, he had 12 disciples who helped heal the sick.

The matured Harmachis entered into a duel with Seth in order to avenge his father. During the battle, Set tore out the eyes of the young man, but the young god, not bewildered, returned him to himself and, having killed Set, took the masculine nature of the enemy. With the help of his eye, he resurrected his father and became the full ruler of Egypt. He was identified with victory and the power of justice.

There is a legend in which Set is the personification of darkness, and Harmachis is light. Their fight was not the only one, but continued for an eternity, beginning at dawn and ending at dusk. Their battle is an eternal struggle between good and evil.

Some monumental structures depict the Egyptian sphinx as a lion with a falcon's head and one large eye in its forehead. The Egyptians believed that God had the gift of clairvoyance, which helped him to distinguish truth from lies every time. Putting his eye on a sick person, he helped to gain clear thoughts and see the resolution of a difficult situation. The magic of the god was the ability to see with eyes full of love, without prevarication, without being selective and without malice in the heart.

A little later, the interpretation of the god-ruler was relegated to the background, since persons of non-royal blood began to be allowed to power, which changed the attitude towards the pharaohs in the bud. Harmakhis became not the supreme god, but the son of the god Ra. Later, the divine descendant was betrayed by one of his disciples. Harmachis was crucified and buried. He lay like that for 3 days, and then rose again.

Historical mysteries

Concerning the origin of the Egyptian Sphinx, there are still disputes. Its existence is surrounded by secrets and mysteries:

1. Under the monument there are 3 underground passages. It was possible to find only one, located behind the head of the statue.
2. The exact time of the appearance of the monument could not be established. There is historical evidence that it was built long before the reign of Pharaoh Khafre.
3. The accusations of the French emperor Napoleon and his army in the destruction of the face of the statue may be groundless, because. there are sketches of an ancient traveler depicting a pedestal already without a nose and they are dated to the times when Bonaparte was not yet born.
4. There is not a single mention of the erection of the monument in the records of the Egyptians. The people carefully documented information about the costs of all constructions.
5. The first mention of the statue is found in the notes of Pliny the Elder. They contain information about the excavations, during which the monument was released from sand captivity.

Restoration work

The first pharaoh who managed to completely free the statue from the sand was Thutmose IV. Later, the monument was ordered to be dug up by Ramses. Then restoration attempts were made in the 19th-20th centuries.

Today, active work is underway to restore and strengthen the monument. The statue was closed for 4 months and the composition of the material was carefully analyzed, the possibilities of strengthening the foundation were determined. All cracks were isolated with modern building materials. The monument became accessible to tourists in 2014.

The Great Sphinsk is one of the most valuable statues in Egypt. Scientists from all over the world are still working on the riddles of the monument. There is no documentation regarding its origin, so it was not possible to fully understand when it was built. In mythology, the sphinx appears before people in different guises. It carries the wisdom of centuries, helps to shed light on the solution of complex problems and is the guardian of the world of the gods.

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

Monument in numbers

The Egyptian Sphinx is known to everyone and every inhabitant on earth. The monument is carved from a monolithic rock, has the body of a lion and the head of a man (according to some sources - a pharaoh). The length of the statue is 73 m, the height is 20 m. The symbol of power royalty located on the Giza plateau west coast the Nile River and is surrounded by a wide and fairly deep moat. The thoughtful gaze of the Sphinx is directed to the east, towards that point in the heavens where the Sun rises. The monument has been covered with sand many times and has been restored more than once. The statue was completely cleared of sand only in 1925, striking the imagination of the inhabitants of the planet with its scale and size.

History of the sculpture: facts against legends

In Egypt, the Sphinx is considered the most mysterious and mystical monument. His story has attracted great interest and special attention of historians, writers, directors and researchers for many years. Everyone who has had a chance to touch the eternity that the statue represents offers their own version of its origin. locals The stone attraction 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 who love mysteries and fantasy. According to researchers, the history of the Sphinx has more than 13 centuries. Presumably, it was built in order to record the astronomical phenomenon - the reunion of the three planets.

origin myth

Until now, there is no reliable information about what this statue symbolizes, why it was built and when. The lack of history is replaced by legends that are passed from mouth to mouth and told to tourists. The fact that in Egypt the Sphinx is the oldest and most great monument, gives rise to mysterious and ridiculous stories about him. There is an assumption that the statue guards the tombstones of the greatest pharaohs - the pyramids of Cheops, Mykerin and Khafre. Another legend says that the stone statue symbolizes the personality of the pharaoh Khafre, the third - that it is a statue of the god Horus (god of heaven, half-man, half-falcon), watching the ascent of his father - the Sun God Ra.

legends

In ancient Greek mythology, the Sphinx is mentioned as an ugly monster. According to the Greeks, the legends of Ancient Egypt about this monster sound like this: a creature with a lion's body and a human head gave birth to Echidna and Typhon (a half-snake woman and a giant with a hundred dragon heads). It had the face and chest of a woman, the body of a lion and the wings of a bird. The monster lived not far from Thebes, lay in wait for people and asked them a strange question: “Which living being moves on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?” None of the wanderers trembling with fear could give the Sphinx an intelligible answer. After which the monster sentenced them to death. However, the day came when the wise Oedipus was able to solve his riddle. “This is a man in childhood, maturity and old age,” he replied. After that, the crushed monster rushed from the top of the mountain and crashed against the rocks.

According to the second version of the legend, in Egypt the Sphinx was once God. One day, the heavenly ruler fell into an insidious trap of the sands, called the "cell of oblivion", and fell asleep in it with eternal sleep.

Real facts

Despite the mysterious undertones of the legends, real story no less mystical and mysterious. According to the initial opinion of scientists, the Sphinx was built at the same time as the pyramids. However, in the ancient papyri, from which information about the building of the pyramids was obtained, there is not a single mention of a stone statue. The names of architects and builders who created the grandiose tombs for the pharaohs are known, but the name of the person who gave the world the Egyptian Sphinx is still unknown.

True, a few centuries after the creation of the pyramids, the first facts about the statue appear. The Egyptians call her "shepes ankh" - "a living image." Scientists could not give the world any more information and scientific explanation of these words.

But at the same time, the cult image of the mysterious Sphinx - the winged monster maiden - is mentioned in Greek mythology, numerous fairy tales and legends. The hero of these tales, depending on the author, periodically changes his appearance, appearing in some versions as a half-man, half-lion, and in others as a winged lioness.

The story of the Sphinx

Another puzzle for scientists was the chronicle of Herodotus, who in 445 BC. described in great detail the process of building the pyramids. He told the world interesting stories about how the structures were erected, for how long and how many slaves were involved in their construction. The narration of the "father of history" touched even such nuances as the food of the slaves. But, oddly enough, Herodotus never mentioned the stone Sphinx in his work. In none of the subsequent records, the fact of the erection of the monument was also found.

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

The first "restoration"

Judging by the inscription left on the stone stele between the monster's paws, Pharaoh Thutmose I spent a year freeing the monument. Ancient writings tell that, being a prince, Thutmose fell asleep at the foot of the Sphinx and had a dream in which the god Harmakis appeared to him. He predicted the prince's ascension to the throne of Egypt and ordered the statue to be released from the sand trap. After some time, Thutmose successfully became pharaoh and remembered the promise given to the deity. He ordered not only to dig up the giant, but also to restore it. Thus, the first revival of the legend of Egypt took place in the 15th century. BC. It was then that the world learned about the grandiose construction and the unique cult monument of Egypt.

It is known for certain that after the revival of the Sphinx by Pharaoh Thutmose, it was once again dug up during the reign of the Ptolemaic dynasty, under the Roman emperors who captured Ancient Egypt, and the Arab rulers. In our time, it was again freed from the sands in 1925. Until now, the statue has to be cleaned after sandstorms, as it is an important tourist attraction.

Why is the monument missing a nose?

Despite the antiquity of the sculpture, it has practically survived in its original form, embodying the Sphinx. Egypt (the photo of the monument is presented above) managed to maintain its architectural masterpiece but failed to protect him from the barbarism of the people. The statue does not have this moment nose. Scientists suggest that one of the pharaohs, for reasons unknown to science, ordered to beat off the nose of the statue. According to other sources, the monument was damaged by Napoleon's army, firing a cannon at his face. The British, on the other hand, chopped off the beard of the monster and sent it to their museum.

However, in the later records of the historian Al-Maqrizi from 1378, it is said that the stone statue no longer had a nose. According to him, one of the Arabs, wanting to atone for religious sins (the Koran forbade the depiction of human faces), chipped off the giant's nose. In response to such a crime and abuse of the Sphinx, the sands began to take revenge on people, advancing on the lands of Giza.

As a result, scientists came to the conclusion that in Egypt the Sphinx lost its nose as a result of strong winds and floods. Although this assumption has not yet found real confirmation.

The Stunning Secrets of the Sphinx

In 1988, as a result of exposure to caustic factory smoke, a decent part of a stone block (350 kg) broke off from the monument. UNESCO, concerned about the appearance and condition of the tourist and cultural object, resumed repairs, thereby paving the way for new research. As a result of a thorough study of the stone blocks of the pyramid of Cheops and the Sphinx by Japanese archaeologists, a hypothesis was put forward that the monument was built much earlier than the great tomb of the pharaoh. The conclusion was a stunning discovery for historians, who assumed that the pyramid, the Sphinx, and others burial structures- contemporaries. The second, no less surprising discovery was a long narrow tunnel discovered under the left paw of a predator, connected to the pyramid of Cheops.

After Japanese archaeologists ancient monument engaged in hydrology. They found traces of erosion on his body from a large water stream that moved from north to south. After a series of studies, hydrologists came to the conclusion that the stone lion was a silent witness to the flood of the Nile - a biblical catastrophe that occurred about 8-12 thousand years ago. American researcher John Anthony West explained the traces of water erosion on the body of a lion and their absence on the head as evidence that the Sphinx existed during the 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 death of Atlantis.

Thus, the stone statue tells us about the existence of the greatest civilization, which managed to erect such a majestic structure, which became the immortal image of the Past.

The admiration of the ancient Egyptians before the Sphinx

The pharaohs of Egypt regularly made pilgrimages to the foot of the giant, which symbolized the great past of their country. They made sacrifices on the altar, which was between his paws, burned incense, receiving from the giant a silent blessing on the kingdom and throne. The Sphinx was for them not only the incarnation of the sun god, but also a sacred image that gave them hereditary and legitimate power from their ancestors. He personified powerful Egypt, the history of the country was reflected in its majestic form, embodying each image of the new pharaoh and turning modernity into a component of eternity. Ancient writings glorified the Sphinx as a great creator god. His image reunited the past, present and future.

Astronomical explanation of the stone 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 of Pharaohs. A huge lion is located among other majestic structures on the stone plateau of Giza - the three pyramids.

Astronomical studies have shown that the location of the statue was chosen not by blind intuition, but in accordance with the point of intersection of the path of heavenly bodies. It served as the equatorial point, indicating the exact location on the horizon of the place of sunrise on the day of the vernal equinox. According to astronomers, the Sphinx was built 10.5 thousand years ago.

It is noteworthy that the pyramids of Giza are located on the earth in exactly the same order as the three stars in the sky in that year. According to legend, the Sphinx and the pyramids fixed the position of the stars, the astronomical time, which was called the first. Since Orion was the heavenly personification of the ruler at that time, man-made structures were built to depict the stars of his belt in order to perpetuate and fix the time of his power.

The Great Sphinx as a tourist attraction

Currently, a giant lion with a human head attracts millions of tourists who are eager to see the legendary stone sculpture, shrouded in the darkness of centuries of 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 undisclosed, buried under the sands. It is hard to imagine how many secrets the Sphinx keeps in itself. Egypt (photos of the monument and the 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.

Great and impressive is the huge stone Sphinx, whose history has remained unsolved and full of secrets. Still, the calm gaze of the statue is directed into the distance, and its appearance is still imperturbable. How many centuries has he been a silent witness of human suffering, the vanity of rulers, the sorrows and misfortunes that befell the Egyptian land? How many secrets does the Great Sphinx keep in itself? Unfortunately, all these questions have not been answered for many years.

The Complete Encyclopedia of Mythological Creatures. Story. Origin. The magical properties of Conway Dinn

Egyptian Sphinx

Egyptian Sphinx

Image Egyptian Sphinx familiar to us from the destroyed monument, standing next to the pyramids. This ancient statue, carved from a giant stone, is located just outside of Gaza and is an image of a reclining lion with an apparently male human head. Currently, the statue of the Sphinx is destroyed and significantly damaged and is only an echo of its former beauty. When the Muslims took over Egypt, fanatical adherents of this religion deliberately cut off the nose of the statue, calling it a sinful idol.

In the eyes of the ancient Egyptians, who called him "hu", he symbolized the four elements and the Spirit, as well as all the science of the past, which is lost to us. Despite the fact that the statue of the reclining Sphinx is located not far from the Great Pyramid, the Sphinx was built much later than this famous structure.

The Egyptian Sphinx is different from the Greek. It is believed that he is male, as he is wearing a headdress with long linens falling over his shoulders, and a royal uraeus (cobra). He has no wings. Meanwhile, many ancient authors claimed that the Sphinx is an androgynous being, possessing both male (positive) and female (negative) creative powers. It appears that the Egyptian Sphinx, a regal yet mysterious creature, was a guardian underworld, that parallel world, about which initiates speak as a place of great initiations.

The Egyptian Sphinx is almost seventy feet high and over a hundred long. According to estimates, its weight is several hundred tons. It is possible that the original statue was covered with a layer of plaster and painted in sacred colors. Outwardly, the Sphinx was the incarnation of the sun god, so his head was decorated with a royal headdress, his forehead was a cobra (uraeus), and his chin was a beard. Both the cobra and the beard were once chipped off. The beard was discovered between the front paws of the Sphinx during its excavations from the layer of sand covering the statue.

The main mass of the body of the Sphinx is carved from a monolithic giant stone, and the front paws are carved from smaller stones. The version that this stone could be a monolithic rock that was originally located there caused a lot of controversy. Analysis of the limestone from which the statue was carved showed that it contained a huge number of small sea creatures, indicating a strong possibility that the stone was quarried elsewhere.

The temple, the altar located between the paws, and the steps leading up to the Sphinx were built much later. This was probably done by the Romans, who restored many Egyptian monuments.

Between the front paws of the Sphinx is a huge stele of red granite with a hieroglyphic inscription on it that the Sphinx is a guardian. Some hieroglyphs on this stele describe an unusual dream-vision of the eighteenth dynasty pharaoh Thutmose IV, who appeared to him while he was sleeping in the shadow of the Sphinx. Then Thutmose was still a prince. Tired during the hunt, the prince lay down to take a nap in the shade ancient statue, and he dreamed that the Sphinx turned to him with a request to remove the sand that bound it and restore its former beauty. And in gratitude, he promised to reward Thutmose with the double crown of Egypt. Apparently, Thutmose honored this request (although the part of the stele describing this is too badly damaged to make it impossible to read the text in full), because he became Pharaoh Thutmose IV.

Conservatively minded archaeologists, historians and scientists are firmly convinced that the Sphinx was carved in the image of one of the great pharaohs as a funerary offering. However, ancient historical sources, which these "specialists" left unattended, set out a different version of the purpose of the Sphinx.

The ancient philosopher Iamblichus wrote that the Egyptian Sphinx closed the entrance to the sacred underground chambers and galleries, where adherents of secret knowledge underwent certain tests. The entrance to the Sphinx was carefully closed by huge bronze gates, and the way to open them was known only to individual high priests and priestesses. If the initiate into secret knowledge was not completely ready, the intricate maze of transitions inside the statue would again return him to the beginning of the path. If he found the right path in the labyrinth, then he moved from one ritual hall to another. And only if the initiate was recognized as ready for the great sacrament of initiation, he or she was escorted to a deep tunnel leading under the sands of the desert from the Sphinx into the Great Pyramid.

George Hunt Williamson states that these underground temples hold precious metal slabs, papyrus scrolls, and clay tablets containing ancient information.

In order to refute the claims of the ancient authors, over the years metal rods were inserted into the Sphinx and not a single passage or hall was found inside it. However, in October 1994, the Associated Press news agency reported that workers trying to restore the destroyed parts of the Sphinx made a fantastic discovery: they had discovered an unknown ancient passage leading deep into the Sphinx. And yet, antiquities experts still don't know who built it, where it leads, or what its purpose was.

Sometimes the Sphinx was represented with the head of a hawk, and not with a human. Egyptian Sphinxes have always been depicted lying down. Sphinxes were often placed on both sides of the entrance to the temple to guard it.

However, images of Sphinxes have been found in cultures older than the Egyptians. It is determined that the stone sculptures of the Sphinxes found in Mesopotamia were created at least five thousand years earlier than the Egyptian Sphinx in Gaza. Similar figures carved in stone have been found throughout the Middle East. Even in ancient Greece there was a legend about the Sphinx.

Egyptian Sphinx

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Mysterious Egyptian megalith

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

"A pile of cobblestones, left by the builders of the Great Pyramids during the extraction of stones, turned into a huge recumbent lion with the head of a man in the time of Khafre (Cheops)." — I. E. S. Edwards.

These passages illustrate polar opinions about the Great Sphinx: from mystical perception to cold pragmatism. The statue, which has been 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 no less mysterious pyramids.

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

Facing towards rising sun The sculpture of the Great Sphinx is located on the Giza plateau 6 miles west of Cairo on the west bank of the Nile. 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 (Mykerin). The monument is the largest surviving sculpture ancient world- 241 feet long and 65 feet high at the highest point.

Part of the ureya (sacred snake that protects from evil forces), his nose and ritual beard collapsed over time. The beard is now in the British Museum. The elongated element on the forehead of the sphinx is a fragment of the royal headdress. Although the sphinx's head has been eroded for thousands of years, traces of the paint that originally covered it can still be seen near the statue's ear. It is believed that once the face of the sphinx was painted burgundy. In a small temple located between its paws, there are a dozen painted stelae erected in honor of the sun god.

The Sphinx has suffered greatly from the ravages of time, human activity and pollution. environment in our time. In fact, it was saved from complete destruction by a long stay in the sands. During the centuries-old history of the monument, many attempts have been made to reconstruct the statue. They began as early as 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 a huge beast was suffocating from the sand absorbing the statue. In a dream, the sphinx told the pharaoh that if he pulled the beast out and cleaned 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 dream of the pharaoh is recorded.

Although the sculpture was cleared away, 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 the arrival of Napoleon, which is captured in the paintings of the XVIII century. 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 VIII century. he was knocked down with a chisel by a Sufi who considered the sphinx to be a pagan idol.

In 1858, the founder of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, Auguste Mariette, began excavating the sculpture, but only a part of it was cleared. In 1925-1936. French engineer Emile Barez, 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, approximately at the same time when the nearby pyramid of Khafre was erected. However, not a single inscription has yet been found confirming the connection of Khafre with the Sphinx, and no records of the time and purpose of the creation of the sculpture either.

Given 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 exactly when and by whom the Sphinx was erected. In 1996, a detective from New York, an expert in the field of identifications, came to the conclusion that the Great Great Sphinx does not look like Khafre, but more like his elder veil Djedefre. Discussions about this are ongoing.

The unresolved issue 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 XX century. While in a trance, Case predicted that a chamber would be discovered under the front paws of the sphinx, which contains a collection of manuscripts about the lives of those who survived after the destruction of Atlantis.

The Great Sphinx was carved from the soft limestone left in the quarry, from which materials were taken to build the pyramids. The paws were created separately from limestone blocks. One of the main features of the sculpture is that her head is not proportional to her body. Perhaps it was repeatedly remade, changing the face of the sphinx at the direction of each subsequent pharaoh.

From the stylistic features, one can determine that it is unlikely that changes were made after the period of the Late Kingdom, which ended around 2181 BC. e. It is likely that the original head depicted a ram or a falcon and was remade into a human later. The restoration work carried out over the millennia to preserve the Sphinx's head may also have transformed or changed 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 conventional science believes.
AT recent times There is a 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 suffered more from water erosion than from wind and sand.

However, other structures on the plateau did not experience a similar radiance. West turned to geologists, and Boston University professor Robert Schoch, after studying the latest finds, confirmed that these were the results of water erosion. Although the climate of Egypt today is arid, around 10,000 years ago it was humid and rainy. West and Schoch concluded that for it to be subject to water erosion, the Sphinx must have existed 7,000 to 10,000 years ago. Egyptologists rejected Schoch's theory, considering it incorrect. They argued that the frequent once torrential 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 could not rain only over the Sphinx. West and Schoch have also been criticized for failing to take into account the high levels of industrial pollution in the local atmosphere that have had a devastating effect on Giza's monuments 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 at 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 of the famous book Footprints of the Gods, Bauval theorized that the Sphinx, the nearby pyramids, and all sorts of ancient manuscripts were part of an astronomical map associated with the constellation Orion. He came to the conclusion that such a hypothetical map corresponded best 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 have found a number of anomalies in the atmosphere above the site using ultra-sensitive technology. However, these phenomena could also be of a natural nature. In 1995, during repair work in the parking lot near the statue, several tunnels and passages were discovered, two of which went deep underground next to the sphinx. Bauval 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 the traces of erosion on the monument using a seismograph, discovered something strange: holes, cavities or chambers of the correct form were found several meters below the ground between the paws of the statue, and also on the other side of the sphinx sculpture. However, the expedition did not receive permission to conduct further research. The question arises: maybe there is a grain of truth in the prediction of Edgar Cayce regarding the collection of manuscripts?

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

In 1950, the development of a large-scale and expensive project for the restoration and preservation of the monument began. The first attempts to restore the monument led to its 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 chemicals were used, but the efforts were in vain. By 1988, the blocks of the left shoulder of the sphinx had collapsed.

Currently, attempts to restore the statue under the strict supervision of the High Council of Antiquities do not stop. Restorers are trying to repair the collapsed shoulder using some of the subsoil. Thus, today all attention is focused on the preservation of the monument, and not on excavations and further research. We just have to wait. It will be a long time before the Great Sphinx reveals its secrets.

B.Hoton
"Great mysteries and mysteries of history"