What is the Sphinx? Secrets of the Egyptian Sphinx. Great Sphinx, Giza, Egypt

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 acquainted with 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 - a beautiful woman with wings. In Egypt, these creatures were most often masculine. 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 the head:

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

So, answering the question of 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 the immediate vicinity of temples.

The most famous sphinxes

The tradition of creating very original statues with a human head and a lion's body was inherent in 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 depicted Queen Hethephera 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 throughout the world, of course, is the Great Sphinx, which not only amazes with its enormous size, but also poses many mysteries to the scientific community.

The giant with the body of a lion is located on the plateau at Giza (near the capital of the modern state, Cairo) and is part of a funerary complex that also includes 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 outstanding monument is controversial, although analysis of the rock suggests 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 faces 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 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 this on the shelling of Napoleon's army, others on the actions of 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 there are three underground passages under the giant monument. However, only one of them was found - behind the giant's head.
The age of the largest sphinx is still unknown. Most scholars believe that it was built during the reign of Khafre, but there are those who consider the sculpture to be more ancient. 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.

The majestic monument of the Ancient World has not yet revealed all its mysteries to us, so its research continues.

Restoration and protection

We learned what the Sphinx was and what role it played in the worldview of the 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.

Later, the conqueror Ramses II ordered the excavation of the Egyptian Sphinx. 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.

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

The Great Sphinx as a collective image

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

Age of the Great Sphinx

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

Unfortunately, time has not been kind to the figure, and people treated her barbarously. The Sphinx's face is disfigured. In the 14th century, one of the sheikhs, in order to fulfill the covenant of Muhammad, who forbade depicting a human face, damaged the sculpture. The head of the Sphinx was used for target practice by the Mamelukes.

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

You can learn more about the history of Egypt and beyond at the Abdin Palace, which is now a museum complex.

Great Sphinx on the map of Cairo

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 the divine origin of its rulers, who have sunk into the centuries, but left on earth the image of eternal life. National symbol 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. The symbol of the power of royal power is located on the Giza plateau on the western coast of the Nile River and is surrounded by a wide and 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 aroused great interest for many years and Special attention historians, writers, directors and researchers. 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 in Egypt the Sphinx is the oldest and most big monument, gives rise to mysterious and ridiculous stories. 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 of the living creatures moves on the four legs, during the day at two, and in the evening at three?” 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, the real story is 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”. Scientists were unable to give the world any more information or scientific explanation of these words.

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 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, during 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 found in any of the subsequent records.

He helped shed light on the work of the Roman writer Pliny the Elder, “Natural History,” to scientists. 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 the world a description of the Sphinx - 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 the grandiose structure and 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 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 unknown to science reason, he ordered the nose to be knocked off the statue. 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 any 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 about the appearance and condition of the tourist 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 the oldest monument hydrologists took over. 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 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 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 of 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 site 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 ground in exactly the same order as the three stars in the sky that year. According to legend, the Sphinx and the pyramids recorded the position of the stars, the astronomical time, which was called the first. Since the celestial personification of the ruler at that time was Orion, man-made structures were built to depict the stars of his belt in order to perpetuate and 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 travel 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, 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. How many centuries has he been a silent witness? 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.

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

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

Great Pyramids of Giza from a bird's eye view

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

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

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

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

The Pyramid of Cheops

Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu)

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

Pyramid of Cheops and Museum of the Solar Boat

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

Solar boat

Solar boat

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

Pyramid of Khafre

Pyramid of Khafre (Khafre)

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

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

Pyramid of Mikerin

Pyramid of Mikerin (Menkaure)

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

Great Sphinx

Great Sphinx

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

Great Sphinx from the rear

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

The Great Sphinx against the background of the Pyramid of Khafre

Secrets of ancient times: why were the pyramids built?

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

The Egyptian one was recognized as one of the most mysterious sculptures of our Earth. Sphinx. The Sphinx rises above the vast expanses of the desert in the Valley of the Kings on the Gizo plateau. Now it's a plateau Guizot is the city of Giza on the outskirts of Cairo, more than 900 thousand inhabitants live there. When you drive along its streets, the pyramids are already looming on the horizon. The necropolis, on the territory of which the pyramids are located, occupies approximately 2000 square meters. m. and declared a protected area. These pyramids are considered one of the wonders of the world. The city can be said to have already come close to the pyramids. Literally 100 meters from the residential quarters there is the Sphinx, and behind it the pyramids.

There are nine pyramids in total.
Three of them are the most famous. It is believed that the pyramids are about 5 thousand years old, the sphinx is about 3.5 thousand years old. These structures were known to the ancient Greeks, but for them, as for us, they were hoary antiquity. “Forty centuries look down on you from the heights of these pyramids,” Napoleon Bonaparte told his soldiers before the Battle of Giza, 1798. The height of the pyramids of Cheops is 138.75 m, Khafre (son of Cheops) - 136.4 m, Mikkerin (grandson) - 55.5 m. Visually, the pyramid of Khafre (in the center) seems higher, because it stands on more high place... Without actually seeing them, you imagine something completely monumental, but from a distance the pyramids seem small, and up close, they are not as huge as many would like to see.

The Sphinx is located closer to the city, as if guarding the pyramids. In ancient times, the Nile had such a wide bed that the Sphinx stood right on the river bank. Around the pyramids of Khafre and Mikkerin there are several more small pyramids (very badly destroyed) - the tombs of their wives, children, concubines... Initially, the pyramids were lined with granite blocks and had heights several meters higher. But over the course of centuries of history, these blocks, as well as some directly from the pyramids, were used to build Cairo. Many famous mosques were built from the granite casing of the pyramids. By the way, I will say that the casing made the pyramids absolutely smooth, and not compliant as they are now. The real names of the pharaohs who rested in the pyramids are Khufu, Khafre and Menkaur (Cheops, Khafre and Mikkerin, respectively). Moreover, Cheops and Khafre were not related, and Mikkerin is the son of Khafre. In the pyramid of Khafre the inscription "G. Belzoni. 1818." The discoverer wrote this on March 2, 1818. The dimensions of the burial chamber are 14.2m x 5m x 6.8m (length, width and height, respectively). The Sphinx's nose was shot off from a cannon, but not by Napoleonic soldiers (as some claim), but by Turkish Mamluks - Muslims do not like the display of human faces. The Arabs call the pyramids "Al-Ahram" ("pyramids") and the Sphinx - "Abu Hall" ("father of horror").
The Pyramid of Cheops.

The largest known pyramid is Cheops. He was the pharaoh of the 4th dynasty (2600 BC). The pyramid is tetrahedral, with a square base. The height of the pyramid is 147 m, the base has a side of 228 m. Stone blocks weighing 2.5 tons each were used to construct the pyramid. At the same time, the quality of the surface treatment makes us doubt that we are modern people, we understand life; it is impossible to insert a knife blade between the blocks. The pyramid is oriented with its entrance to the north. Inside the pyramid there are three burial chambers, which are rooms measuring 11 by 5 meters and about 6 m high. The pharaoh’s mummy was missing from the sarcophagus, as were the supposed objects and decorations. Perhaps it was plundered in ancient times. On the southern side of the pyramid is the so-called Solar Boat. On it, Cheops went to the other world, which, of course, could also carry a symbolic meaning. The boat was discovered disassembled during excavations in 1954. It is made of cedar without the use of nails.

Pyramid of Khafre

It is believed that the Pyramid of Khafre was built almost simultaneously with the Pyramid of Cheops. A difference of 40 years against the backdrop of thousands of years of history looks like an insignificant period of time.
The pyramid is a little smaller. Base 215 meters, height 145 meters. Slightly different ratios create the illusion that it is larger than the Cheops pyramid. The two great pyramids differ from each other in the preservation of the basalt cladding at the top of the Pyramid of Khafre. A complex of structures associated with the pyramid is being traced. Temples, road, pyramid. Khafre was mummified in the lower temple.

Pyramid of Mikerin

This pyramid, significantly different in size, completes the ensemble of the great pyramids. Its dimensions are as follows: height - 67 m, base 108 m. The pyramid contains a single burial chamber. The chamber was created in the rocky base of the pyramid. The relatively small size of the pyramid emphasizes the greatness of the first two.
How were the pyramids created? Many scientists believe they know how, others doubt it. Anyway it was great work great people. The ancient quarries where the stone for the pyramids was mined are still visible. An ancient pier was discovered not far from the pyramids; the stones were delivered by ship.
In the vicinity of the great pyramids there are several small pyramids of the wives of the pharaohs, the tombs of the Egyptian aristocracy.

Sphinx

The Sphinx is the largest solid sculpture in the world (after the explosion of Buddha statues by the Taliban in Afghanistan)... For five thousand years, the Sphinx has been meeting the sunrises, it faces the east, its lips are closed. The facial features are believed to correspond to the image of Pharaoh Khafre. This is a mysterious creature with the body of a lion and the head of a man, carved from the same stone. The length of the sphinx from the tip of its paws to its tail is 57.3 m, its height is 20 m. Nestled at the huge paws of the sphinx is a small temple, now completely destroyed. Quite well preserved. And if you also take into account that the Germans took the crown to their museum, and the French to the Louvre, and Napoleon actually fired cannons at it during the Egyptian campaign... Although it is restored from time to time, it does not feel like a remake. You cannot approach the statue directly - it stands on a high pedestal, and tourists walk around at paw level along a special parapet perimeter, so it turns out that there is an insurmountable deep ditch between tourists and the Sphinx. When a person stands especially at dawn between the paws of the Great Sphinx of Egypt and sees how rising Sun lights up his face, he is overcome with timidity and awe. At this moment you clearly feel how old this colossal statue is - almost as old as time itself. They say that it is much older than the 4500 years that Egyptologists give it; it is quite possible that it goes back to the last Ice Age, when, as is believed, a civilization capable of creating such monuments could not yet exist.
When a man stands at dawn between the paws of the Great Sphinx of Egypt and sees the rising sun illuminate his face, he is overcome with shyness and awe. At this moment you clearly feel how old this colossal statue is - almost as old as time itself. It is much older than the 4,500 years that Egyptologists give it; it is quite possible that it dates back to the last Ice Age, when, as is believed, a civilization capable of creating such monuments could not yet exist. Sphinx - greatest mystery antiquities. It is still not known for certain who, why and when erected this grandiose structure.

Myths and legends of the Sphinx

This majestic monument is fraught with many secrets and mysteries; for thousands of years it has been shrouded in myths and legends, it has been worshiped and feared, it has seen the change of eras and civilizations, and only it, the Sphinx of Giza, has remained the imperishable and silent keeper of the secrets of the distant past.
1. He was once considered an eternal god. He then fell into the trap of oblivion and fell into an enchanted sleep. What secret does this majestic guard keep? In the myths of the ancient Greeks, the Sphinx is a monster generated by Typhon and Echidna, with the face and breasts of a woman, the body of a lion and the wings of a bird. The Sphinx was located on a mountain near the city of Thebes and asked everyone who passed by a riddle: “Which living creature walks on four legs in the morning, on two in the afternoon, and on three in the evening?” The Sphinx killed those who were unable to provide a solution. Oedipus solved the riddle - “Man in childhood, maturity and old age.” After this, the Sphinx threw herself off the cliff.
2. Another legend tells that this huge predator guards the peace of the pyramids day and night, and with the help of the “third eye” monitors the circulation of the planets, Sirius and the sunrise, feeding cosmic force. In exchange for this he had to make sacrifices.
3. Another legend says that a giant statue of a mysterious beast guards the “elixir of immortality.” According to legends, the founder of esoteric knowledge, Hermes Trismegistus, owned the secrets of making the “philosopher’s stone,” with which metal could be turned into gold. Also, " philosopher's Stone"was the basis for the creation of the "elixir of immortality." According to legend, Trismegistus was the son Egyptian god named Thoth, who built the first pyramid on the banks of the Nile and erected the Sphinx next to the pyramid complex in Giza, designed to protect the recipe for the “elixir of immortality”, which was hidden in its depths.
4. Initially, in myths, the Egyptian Sphinx retained the features of a lion with the head of a man. He wandered along the roads near Parnassus, devouring passers-by. In the myths of the ancient Greeks, the Sphinx is a monster born of Typhon and Echidna, with the body of a lion, the face and breasts of a woman, and the wings of a bird. Having settled on a mountain near the city of Thebes, the Sphinx asked everyone who passed by a riddle - “Which living creature walks on four legs in the morning, on two in the afternoon, and on three in the evening?” Those who failed to solve the riddle were killed by the Sphinx. Oedipus was able to give the answer - “Man in childhood, maturity and old age.” After which the Sphinx threw herself off the cliff.
5. The Arabs living in the area called the statue Abul Khol, which translated means “father of horror.” As philologists have established, the full name of the statue meant “the living image of Khafre.” Thus, the Sphinx was the embodiment of King Khafre with symbols of royal power and the body of the king of the desert. Consequently, in the understanding of the ancient Egyptians, the Sphinx in one person represented a god and a lion guarding its pyramid.
6. Many mystical teachings and magicians of all times have tried to find magical explanations for the purpose of the Sphinx. Here is what the classic of occultism Eliphas Levi wrote in his “History of Magic”: “Hermes Trismegistus formulated his symbol, called the Emerald Tablet: “What is below is like what is above, and what is above is like what is below, for actions of miracles of one essence." Light is Isis, or the moon, fire is Osiris, or the sun; they are the mother and father of the great Tellus, and she is the universal substance. Hermes Trismegistus states that these forces reached their absolute manifestation at the moment when the earth was created. Four manifestations of a single substance were represented by the Sphinx. His wings corresponded to air, his bull's body to earth, his woman's breasts to water, and his lion's paws to fire. This is the secret of the three pyramids with square bases and triangular faces guarded by the Sphinx. By erecting these monuments, Egypt tried to erect the Pillars of Hercules of universal science.

How old is the Sphinx?

1. For a long time, scientists considered the Sphinx to be the same age as the Great Pyramids, but there is one oddity here. The fact is that in the ancient papyri that have reached us and dating back to the era of the construction of the pyramids, not the slightest mention of the Sphinx was found. And, if hieroglyphs brought to us the names of the builders of the Great Pyramids, who created the Sphinx remains a mystery. We found the answer in the works of the ancient Roman scientist and writer Pliny the Elder. In his " Natural history“It is said that in his time the Sphinx was once again cleansed from the sands of the Western Desert, which literally swallowed it up. It is not known exactly how often the Sphinx was covered with sand, but it becomes clear why there were periods in history when there was no mention of the Sphinx. It’s just that the same Herodotus, describing the greatness of Ancient Egypt, could not tell us about the Sphinx, because he did not see it - it was buried under a many-meter layer of sand. Studying the sculpture, scientists came to the conclusion that the Sphinx was periodically hidden under a layer of sand, and from time to time it had to be dug up. In the last century, a stele was found in Egypt on which was carved a text compiled in the 15th century BC during the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose IV. The text says that the pharaoh had a sign in a dream - if he was able to clear the Sphinx of sand, then his reign would be prosperous and long. It also says that the sculpture was dug up after almost a year. In our time, archaeologists have received information that the Sphinx was dug out of the sand during the reign of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt, then under the Arab rulers and Roman emperors. Even today, after strong sandstorms, the statue has to be cleaned, although there is much less sand now than before. The statue was finally cleared of sand in the mid-1920s.

2. Based on these facts and phenomena, scientists concluded that the Sphinx was erected much earlier than previously thought. But there are many different hypotheses about the time of construction of the statue. Therefore, Egyptologists of the world to this day have not come to a common opinion. Studies of significant traces of erosion indicated traces of a flood that once occurred in these places. And the estimated date of the event was named - 8000 BC, and repeated research carried out by the British pushed this date back to 12000 BC. In addition, it turned out that traces of erosion occur on the processed part of the rock on which the Sphinx is installed, which means that it stood there even before the flood. French archaeologists claim that the dating of the flood that occurred in Egypt coincides with the date of the destruction of Atlantis according to Plato... Other scientists are trying to calculate the time of creation of the Sphinx according to the Bible, believing that erosion could have been caused by global flood. Based on the description of the weather in Egypt (the dream of the pharaoh, unraveled by Joseph), it can be assumed that the Sphinx was erected around 2820-2620 BC. This hypothesis is indirectly confirmed by an Arab legend, which says that the pyramids were built to save the Egyptians from the Great Flood. And the Sphinx was erected in order to warn people about the impending disaster. Therefore, the Sphinx's gaze is wary, and its third eye is directed into Space.

3. The Roerichs and Helena Blavatsky believed that the Sphinx was built by the Atlanteans about 200 thousand years ago. And the famous philosopher Jorge A. Livraga believes that the descendants of the Atlanteans built the Great Pyramid, and a thousand years later - the Great Sphinx. According to N. N. Sychenov, “The construction of the Sphinx began 42.2 thousand years BC and the construction was completed 1200 years later.”

4. The famous American medium Edward Cayce claimed that “The Sphinx and the Pyramids of Cheops were built between 10490 and 10390 BC.” Boston University geology professor Robert Schoch, based on studies of traces of water erosion of the Sphinx, believes that the time of creation of the statue lies between 7000 and 5000 BC, because it was during this period that heavy rains fell over Egypt, which could have caused erosion.

5. John West believes that most of the erosion occurred during an earlier, rainy period - around 10,000 BC.
6. Other scientists divide the time of creation of the Sphinx and the time of construction of the pyramids.
However, many ancient legends and tales testify against this different nations: Greeks, Romans, Chaldeans, Arabs. These legends tell that a tunnel was dug underground and a hiding place was built. The tunnel served as a connection between the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx, which was used by the priests...

Sensational secrets of the Sphinx revealed during its renovation

Time has been kind to this one great monument ancient history, but people treated him much less respectfully. One Egyptian ruler ordered the Sphinx's nose to be taken off. IN early XVIII century, the giant's face was fired from a cannon, and Napoleon's soldiers fired guns into his eyes. The British beat off the stone beard and took it to the British Museum.
Nowadays, the acrid smoke of Cairo factories and car exhaust are destroying the stones. In 1988, a huge block weighing 350 kilograms broke off from the Sphinx’s neck and fell. The emergency condition of the sculpture caused concern among UNESCO. Renovations began, which sparked renewed interest in the mysteries of the Sphinx and the opportunity to re-examine the grandiose sculpture. The discoveries were not long in coming.

First sensation: Japanese archaeologists, led by Professor Yoshimura, using special instruments, first illuminated the massif of the Cheops pyramid, and then examined the stones of the Sphinx. The conclusion was amazing: the stones of the sculpture are older than the blocks of the pyramid.

Second sensation: there was a discovery under the left paw of a stone lion of a narrow tunnel leading towards the Cheops pyramid.

Third sensation: Traces of erosion from a large flow of water that moved from north to south were discovered on the Sphinx. It was not the flood of the Nile, but a biblical catastrophe that occurred around eight to twelve thousand years BC.

Fourth sensation: French archaeologists made an interesting remark: the dating of the Egyptian stream coincides with the date of the death of the legendary Atlantis!

Fifth sensation: The face of the Sphinx is not the face of Khafre.
It was believed that the Sphinx was built by Pharaoh Khafre 4.5 thousand years ago. For more than half of its life, the sphinx was buried up to its neck in sand. Since it was heavily damaged by erosion, the idea of greater antiquity of the sphinx arose: erosion from water, rather than from sand and wind. Geological research showed the same. 10 thousand years ago there were lakes in the Sahara. Schock and West presented their findings at the Geological Society of America's annual meeting. A furious debate began between geologists and Egyptologists. The front and sides are more susceptible to erosion. Whereas the back part is smaller, which means it was most likely made later. The front is twice as old as the back. How old is the sphinx? At first glance, the face of the sphinx is absolutely similar to the face of Pharaoh Khafre, which seems to prove the time of its creation. But detailed analysis all parameters showed that the face of the sphinx and the face of the pharaoh are not identical. Proportions and shapes do not match. And special studies were done that proved that the faces on the sculpture of Pharaoh Khafre in Cairo Museum and the sphinx's face are different.

Conclusions:
The Sphinx has always been considered the keeper of knowledge, the guardian of the portal leading to the world higher intelligence, a symbol of the strength of human nature... The personification of the unity and balance of the forces of the nature of the earth with the higher forces living in the Universe. Everything came together in the Great Sphinx. The perfect symbol of initiation into eternal life. And the mystery of the origin of the Sphinx goes back to time immemorial. What do we know about those times? Practically nothing, but the legends and myths that have survived to this day raise many questions and practically do not provide answers to them. However, it can be assumed that in the mists of time a highly developed civilization existed on our Earth, and its representatives, possessing developed science, could foresee the coming catastrophe and try to preserve their knowledge for future generations. One of the ancient legends says: “When the Sphinx speaks, life on Earth will go out of its usual circle.” But for now the Sphinx remains silent...
When was it built? When was it reconstructed? In honor of whom and by whom it was created... Most likely, there will never be exact answers to these questions... After all, the deeper science advances, the more questions arise...

Information and photos from the Internet.