Sphinx is a Greek word of Egyptian origin. The Greeks called this a mythical monster with a woman's head, a lion's body and bird wings. It was the offspring of the hundred-headed giant Python and his half-snake wife Echidna; Other famous mythical monsters also originated from them: Cerberus, Hydra and Chimera. This monster lived on a rock near Thebes and asked people a riddle; whoever could not solve it was killed by the Sphinx. This is how the Sphinx destroyed people until Oedipus solved its riddle; then the Sphinx threw himself into the sea, because fate determined that he would not survive the correct answer. (By the way, the riddle was quite simple: “Who walks in the morning on four legs, at noon on two, and in the evening on three?” - “Man!” answered Oedipus. “In infancy he crawls on all fours, in adulthood he walks on two legs, and in old age he leans on a stick.")
In the Egyptian understanding, the Sphinx was neither a monster nor a woman, like the Greeks, and did not ask riddles; it was a statue of a ruler or god, whose power was symbolized by the lion's body. Such a statue was called shesep-ankh, i.e. “living image” (of the ruler). From the distortion of these words the Greek “sphinx” arose.
Although the Egyptian Sphinx did not ask riddles, the huge statue itself under the pyramids at Giza is a riddle incarnate. Many tried to explain his mysterious and somewhat contemptuous smile. Scientists asked questions: who does the statue depict, when was it created, how was it carved?
After a hundred years of study, which included drilling machines and gunpowder, Egyptologists discovered the real name of the Sphinx. The surrounding Arabs called the statue Abu'l Hod - "Father of Terror", philologists found out that this is the folk etymology of the ancient "Khorun". Behind this name were hidden several even more ancient ones, and at the end of the chain stood the ancient Egyptian Haremakhet (in Greek Harmakhis), which meant “The choir in the sky.” The choir was the deified ruler, and the sky was the place where, after death, this ruler merges with the sun god. The full name meant: “The living image of Khafre.” pharaoh Khafre(Khefre) with the body of the king of the desert, a lion, and with symbols of royal power, i.e. Khafre - a god and a lion guarding his pyramid.
Riddles of the Sphinx. Video
There is not and has never been a statue in the world larger than the Great Sphinx. It is hewn from a single block left in a quarry where stone was mined for the construction of the pyramid of Khufu and then Khafre. It combines a remarkable creation of technology with wonderful artistic invention; Khafre's appearance, known to us from other sculptural portraits, despite the stylized nature of the image, is conveyed correctly, with individual traits(wide cheekbones and large lagging ears). As can be judged by the inscription at the feet of the statue, it was created during Khafre’s lifetime; therefore, this Sphinx is not only the largest, but also the oldest monumental statue in the world. From its front paw to its tail is 57.3 meters, the height of the statue is 20 meters, the width of the face is 4.1 meters, the height is 5 meters, from the top to the earlobe is 1.37 meters, the length of the nose is 1.71 meters. The Great Sphinx is over 4,500 years old.
Now it is badly damaged. The face is disfigured, as if it had been hit with a chisel or shot with cannonballs. The royal uraeus, a symbol of power in the form of a cobra raised on the forehead, disappeared forever; the royal nemes (celebratory scarf descending from the back of the head to the shoulders) is partially broken off; from the “divine” beard, a symbol of royal dignity, only fragments remained, found at the feet of the statue. Several times the Sphinx was covered with desert sand, so that only one head stuck out, and not always its entire head. As far as we know, the pharaoh was the first to order it to be excavated at the end of the 15th century BC. e. According to legend, the Sphinx appeared to him in a dream, asked for this and promised the double crown of Egypt as a reward, which, as evidenced by the inscription on the wall between his paws, he subsequently fulfilled. Then he was freed from captivity by the Sais rulers in the 7th century BC. e., after them - the Roman emperor Septimius Severus in beginning of III century AD e. In modern times, the Sphinx was first dug up by Caviglia in 1818, doing this at the expense of the then ruler of Egypt Muhammad Ali, who paid him 450 pounds sterling - a very large sum for those times. In 1886, his work had to be repeated by the famous Egyptologist Maspero. The Sphinx was then excavated by the Egyptian Antiquities Service in 1925–1926; The work was supervised by the French architect E. Barez, who partially restored the statue and erected a fence to protect it from new drifts. The Sphinx generously rewarded him for this: between his front paws were the remains of a temple, which until then none of the researchers of the pyramid field in Giza had even suspected.
However, time and the desert did not cause as much damage to the Sphinx as human stupidity. The wounds on the face of the Sphinx, reminiscent of marks from blows with a chisel, were actually inflicted with a chisel: in the 14th century, a certain devout Muslim sheikh mutilated it in this way in order to fulfill the covenant of the Prophet Muhammad, prohibiting the depiction of a human face. Wounds that look like marks from cannonballs are also just that. It was the Egyptian soldiers - the Mamelukes - who used the head of the Sphinx as a target for their cannons.
Having heard the combination of the words “Ancient Egypt”, many will immediately imagine the majestic pyramids and the large Sphinx - it is with them that they are associated mysterious civilization, separated from us by several thousand years. Let's get to know interesting facts about sphinxes, these mysterious creatures.
Definition
What is a sphinx? This word first appeared in the Land of the Pyramids, and later spread throughout the world. So, in ancient Greece you can meet a similar creature - 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. Yes, in the temple supreme deity, solar Amun, about 900 of them were found.
So, answering the question of what a sphinx is, it should be noted that this is a statue characteristic of the culture of Ancient Egypt, which, according to mythology, guarded temple buildings and tombs. 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 image option 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 Amon);
- Falcon (they were called hierakosphinxes 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 has been inherent in the Egyptians for a long time. So, the first of them appeared during the fourth dynasty of the pharaohs, that is, around 2700-2500. BC e. Interestingly, the first representative was feminine and portrayed Queen Hetethera the Second. This statue has reached us; anyone can look at it in the Cairo Museum.
Everyone knows the Great Sphinx of Giza, which we will talk about below.
The second largest sculpture depicting 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.
A giant with a lion's body is located on a plateau in Giza (not far from the capital modern state, Cairo) and is part of a mortuary complex that also includes the three great pyramids. It was carved from a monolithic block and is the largest structure for which solid stone was used.
Even the age of this 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 is turned to the east, which is where the pyramids are located - the statue seems to protect the peace of the greatest pharaohs of antiquity.
- The dimensions of the figure, carved from monolithic limestone, are amazing: length - more than 55 meters, width - about 20 meters, shoulder width - more than 11 meters.
- Previously, the ancient sphinx was painted, as evidenced by the surviving remains of paint: red, blue and yellow.
- The statue also had a beard, typical of the kings of Egypt. It has survived to this day, although separately from the sculpture - it is kept in the British Museum.
The giant found himself buried under the sand several times and was dug up. Perhaps it was the protection of the sand that helped the Sphinx survive the destructive influence of natural disasters.
Changes
The Egyptian Sphinx managed to defeat time, but it affected the change in its appearance:
- Initially, the figure had a traditional pharaonic headdress, decorated with a sacred cobra, but it was completely destroyed.
- The statue also lost its false beard.
- Damage to the nose has already been mentioned. Some blame 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 is, what role it played in the worldview ancient Egyptian. They tried to dig out the huge figure from the sand and partially restore it even under the pharaohs. It is known that similar work was carried out during the time of Thutmose IV. A granite stele has been preserved (the so-called “Dream Stele”), which tells that one day the pharaoh had a dream in which the god Ra ordered him to cleanse the statue of sand, in return promising power over the entire state.
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.
On the western bank of the Nile, on the Giza plateau near Cairo, next to the Pyramid of Khafre, there is one of the most famous and, perhaps, the most mysterious historical monument Ancient Egypt- Great Sphinx.
What is the Great Sphinx
The Great, or Great, Sphinx is the oldest monumental sculpture on the planet and the largest of the sculptures of Egypt. The statue is carved from a monolithic rock and depicts a reclining lion with a human head. The length of the monument is 73 meters, the height is about 20.
The name of the statue is Greek and means “strangler,” reminiscent of the mythical Theban sphinx, who killed travelers who did not solve his riddle. The Arabs called the giant lion “Father of Terror,” and the Egyptians themselves called it “shepes ankh,” “image of the living.”
The Great Sphinx was highly revered in Egypt. A sanctuary was built between his front paws, on the altar of which the pharaohs laid their gifts. Some authors conveyed a legend about an unknown god who fell asleep in the “sands of oblivion” and remained forever in the desert.
The image of the sphinx is a traditional motif in ancient Egyptian art. The lion was considered a royal animal, dedicated to the sun god Ra, therefore only the pharaoh was always depicted as a sphinx.
Since ancient times, the Great Sphinx was considered an image of Pharaoh Khafre (Khefre), since it is located next to his pyramid and seems to be guarding it. Perhaps the giant was really called upon to keep the peace of the deceased monarchs, but the identification of the Sphinx with Khafre is erroneous. The main arguments in favor of the parallel with Khafre were the images of the pharaoh found at the statue, but there was a funeral temple of the pharaoh nearby, and the finds could be associated with it.
In addition, research by anthropologists has revealed the Negroid type of face of the stone giant. Numerous inscribed sculptural images available to scientists do not bear any African features.
Riddles of the Sphinx
Who created the legendary monument and when? For the first time, Herodotus raised doubts about the correctness of the generally accepted point of view. Having described the pyramids in detail, the historian did not mention a word about the Great Sphinx. Pliny the Elder brought clarity 500 years later, talking about the cleaning of the monument from sand deposits. Probably, in the era of Herodotus, the Sphinx was hidden under dunes. How many times during the history of its existence this could have happened, one can only guess.
In written documents there is not a single mention of the construction of such a grandiose sculpture, although we know many names of the authors of much less majestic structures. The first mention of the Sphinx dates back to the era of the New Kingdom. Thutmose IV (XIV century BC), not being the heir to the throne, allegedly fell asleep next to the stone giant and received in a dream a command from the god Horus to clear and repair the statue. In return, God promised to make him Pharaoh. Thutmose immediately ordered the liberation of the monument from sand to begin. The work was completed a year later. In honor of this event, a stele with an appropriate inscription was erected near the statue.
This was the first known restoration of the monument. Subsequently, the statue was freed from sand deposits more than once - under the Ptolemies, during the time of Roman and Arab rule.
Thus, historians cannot present a substantiated version of the origin of the Sphinx, which gives room for the creativity of other specialists. Thus, hydrologists noticed that the lower part of the statue shows signs of erosion from prolonged exposure to water. High humidity, at which the Nile could flood the base of the monument, characterized the climate of Egypt in the 4th millennium BC. e. There is no such destruction on the limestone from which the pyramids are built. This was considered proof that the Sphinx was older than the pyramids.
Romantic-minded researchers considered erosion to be the result of biblical Flood– the catastrophic flood of the Nile 12 thousand years ago. Some even started talking about the era ice age. The hypothesis, however, has been disputed. The destruction was explained by the effects of rain and the poor quality of the stone.
Astronomers contributed by putting forward the theory of a single ensemble of pyramids and the Sphinx. By building the complex, the Egyptians allegedly immortalized the time of their arrival in the country. The three pyramids reflect the alignment of the stars of Orion's Belt, which personified Osiris, and the Sphinx looks at the point of sunrise on the day of the vernal equinox that year. This combination of astronomical factors dates back to the 11th millennium BC.
There are other theories, including traditional aliens and representatives of proto-civilizations. The apologists of these theories, as always, do not provide clear evidence.
The Egyptian colossus is fraught with many other mysteries. For example, there are no assumptions about which of the rulers he depicts, why an underground passage was dug from the Sphinx towards the Pyramid of Cheops, etc.
Current state
The final clearing of sand was carried out in 1925. The statue has survived to this day in good condition. Perhaps the centuries-old sand cover saved the Sphinx from weathering and temperature changes.
Nature spared the monument, but not the people. The giant's face is badly damaged - his nose is broken off. At one time, the damage was attributed to Napoleon’s artillerymen, who shot the statue from cannons. However, the Arab historian al-Makrizi reported in the 14th century that the Sphinx had no nose. According to his story, the face was damaged by a crowd of fanatics at the instigation of a certain preacher, since Islam prohibits depicting a person. This statement is questionable, since the Sphinx was revered by the local population. It was believed that it caused the life-giving floods of the Nile.
There are other assumptions. The damage is explained by natural factors, as well as the revenge of one of the pharaohs, who wanted to destroy the memory of the monarch, whom the Sphinx portrays. According to the third version, the nose was recaptured by the Arabs during the conquest of the country. Some Arabian tribes had a belief that if you knock off the nose of a hostile god, he will not be able to take revenge.
In ancient times, the Sphinx had a false beard, an attribute of the pharaohs, but now only fragments remain of it.
In 2014, after the restoration of the statue, tourists opened access to it, and now you can come up and look closely at the legendary giant, whose history contains many more questions than answers.
The Sphinx of Giza is one of the oldest, largest and most mysterious monuments ever created by man. Disputes about its origin are still ongoing. We collected 10 little known facts about a majestic monument in the Sahara Desert.
1. The Great Sphinx of Giza is not a Sphinx
Experts say that the Egyptian Sphinx cannot be called a traditional image of the Sphinx. In classical Greek mythology The sphinx was described as having the body of a lion, the head of a woman, and the wings of a bird. At Giza there is actually a sculpture of an androsphinx, since it has no wings.
2. Initially, the sculpture had several other names
The ancient Egyptians did not originally call this giant creature the "Great Sphinx". The text on the "Dream Stele", dating from around 1400 BC, refers to the Sphinx as the "Statue of the Great Khepri". When the future pharaoh Thutmose IV slept next to her, he had a dream in which the god Khepri-Ra-Atum came to him and asked him to free the statue from the sand, and in return promised that Thutmose would become the ruler of all Egypt. Thutmose IV unearthed the statue, which had been covered with sand over centuries, which then became known as Horem-Akhet, which translates as “Horus on the horizon.” Medieval Egyptians called the Sphinx "balkhib" and "bilhou".
3. Nobody knows who built the Sphinx
Even today, people do not know the exact age of this statue, and modern archaeologists argue about who could have created it. The most popular theory is that the Sphinx arose during the reign of Khafre (the fourth dynasty of the Old Kingdom), i.e. The age of the statue dates back to approximately 2500 BC.
This pharaoh is credited with creating the Pyramid of Khafre, as well as the necropolis of Giza and a number of ritual temples. The proximity of these structures to the Sphinx has prompted a number of archaeologists to believe that it was Khafre who ordered the construction of the majestic monument with his face.
Other scientists believe that the statue is much older than the pyramid. They argue that the face and head of the statue show signs of obvious water damage and theorize that the Great Sphinx already existed during an era when the region faced extensive flooding (6th millennium BC).
4. Whoever built the Sphinx ran away from it headlong after the construction was completed
American archaeologist Mark Lehner and Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass discovered large stone blocks, tool sets and even fossilized dinners under a layer of sand. This clearly indicates that the workers were in such a hurry to get away that they did not even take their tools with them.
5. The laborers who built the statue were well fed
Most scholars think that the people who built the Sphinx were slaves. However, their diet suggests something completely different. Excavations led by Mark Lehner revealed that workers regularly dined on beef, lamb and goat.
6. The Sphinx was once covered in paint
Although the Sphinx is now a sandy gray color, it was once completely covered in bright paint. Remnants of red paint can still be found on the face of the statue, and there are traces of blue and yellow paint on the Sphinx's body.
7. The sculpture was buried under sand for a long time
The Great Sphinx of Giza fell victim to the quicksand of the Egyptian desert several times during its long existence. The first known restoration of the Sphinx, which was almost completely buried under sand, occurred shortly before the 14th century BC, thanks to Thutmose IV, who soon after became an Egyptian pharaoh. Three millennia later, the statue was again buried under the sands. Until the 19th century, the statue's front paws were deep below the desert surface. The Sphinx was completely excavated in the 1920s.
8. The Sphinx lost her headdress in the 1920s
During the last restoration, part of the Great Sphinx's famous headdress fell off and its head and neck were seriously damaged. The Egyptian government hired a team of engineers to restore the statue in 1931. But that restoration used soft limestone, and in 1988, a 320-kilogram piece of the shoulder fell off, nearly killing a German reporter. After this, the Egyptian government again began restoration work.
9. After the construction of the Sphinx, there was a cult that worshiped it for a long time
Thanks to the mystical vision of Thutmose IV, who became pharaoh after unearthing a giant statue, a whole cult of Sphinx worship arose in the 14th century BC. The pharaohs who ruled during the New Kingdom even built new temples from which the Great Sphinx could be seen and worshiped.
10. The Egyptian sphinx is much kinder than the Greek one
The Sphinx's modern reputation as a cruel creature comes from Greek mythology, not Egyptian mythology. In Greek myths, the Sphinx is mentioned in connection with a meeting with Oedipus, to whom he asked a supposedly unsolvable riddle. In ancient Egyptian culture, the Sphinx was considered more benevolent.
11. It’s not Napoleon’s fault that the Sphinx doesn’t have a nose
The mystery of the Great Sphinx's missing nose has given rise to all sorts of myths and theories. One of the most common legends says that Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the nose of the statue to be broken off in a fit of pride. However, early sketches of the Sphinx show that the statue lost its nose before the birth of the French emperor.
12. The Sphinx was once bearded
Today, the remains of the Great Sphinx's beard, which was removed from the statue due to severe erosion, are kept in the British Museum and in the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, established in Cairo in 1858. However, French archaeologist Vasil Dobrev claims that the statue was not bearded from the very beginning, and the beard was added later. Dobrev argues that removing the beard, if it had been a component of the statue to begin with, would have damaged the statue's chin.
13. The Great Sphinx is the most ancient statue, but not the most ancient sphinx
The Great Sphinx of Giza is considered the oldest monumental sculpture in human history. If the statue is considered to date from Khafre's reign, the smaller sphinxes depicting his half-brother Djedefre and sister Netefere II are older.
14. Sphinx - the largest statue
The Sphinx, which is 72 meters long and 20 meters high, is considered the largest monolithic statue on the planet.
15. Several astronomical theories are associated with the Sphinx
The mystery of the Great Sphinx of Giza has led to a number of theories about the ancient Egyptians' supernatural understanding of the cosmos. Some scientists, such as Lehner, believe that the Sphinx with the pyramids of Giza is a giant machine for capturing and processing solar energy. Another theory notes the coincidence of the Sphinx, the pyramids and the Nile River with the stars of the constellations Leo and Orion.
Address: Egypt, Giza plateau in the suburbs of Cairo
Date of construction: XXVI-XXIII centuries BC e.
Coordinates: 29°58"41.3"N 31°07"52.1"E
Where the green Nile Valley gives way to the Libyan Desert, in the suburbs of Cairo, on the Giza Plateau, the Great Pyramids stand unshakably. To the eyes of a tourist arriving in Giza, the pyramids open unexpectedly: like a mirage, they “grow” from the hot sands of the desert.
Great Pyramids of Giza from above
IN Ancient world The pyramids were considered one of the “7 Wonders of the World,” but even today they impress with their immense size, and their secrets will excite the imagination of mankind for a long time. The pyramids were admired by the “powers of this world” - Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and others.
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.
Pyramid of Cheops
Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu)
The largest of the pyramids, the Pyramid of Cheops, is the only one of the “7 Wonders of the World” that has survived to this day. For more than 3,000 years, before the construction of Lincoln Cathedral in England (1311), the Cheops Pyramid was the tallest structure on Earth. Its original height - 146.6 meters - corresponded to a 50-story skyscraper, but after an earthquake in the 13th century, the Cheops pyramid decreased by 8 meters - it lost its cladding and the gilded pyramidon stone that crowned the top.
Pyramid of Cheops and Museum of the Solar Boat
The Egyptians stole the polished white limestone slabs and used them to build Cairo's houses and mosques. The Pyramid of Cheops amazes with its grandeur and the titanic work of people who raised stone blocks weighing 2.5 tons to the sky using primitive devices - ropes and levers. And in the “Tsar’s Chamber” granite blocks weigh up to 80 tons. The Arab historian Abdel Latif (12th century) notes that the individual blocks are so tightly fitted to each other that it is impossible to insert the tip of a knife between them.
Solar boat
Solar boat
Inside the Cheops pyramid there are burial chambers, and outside, at its foot, there is the Museum of the Solar Boat.. On this ship, built of cedar without a single nail, the pharaoh was supposed to go to the afterlife.
Pyramid of Khafre
Pyramid of Khafre (Khafre)
The second largest ancient Egyptian pyramid was built 40 years later than the first by Pharaoh Khafre, the son of Cheops. Although the pyramid of Khafre is inferior in height (136.4 m) to the tomb of his father, but due to its location on a more high point plateau, it was a worthy competitor to the Great Pyramid.
At the top of the Pyramid of Khafre, a white basalt cladding is partially preserved, reminiscent of a glacier on the mountain.
Pyramid of Mikerin
Pyramid of Mikerin (Menkaure)
The ensemble of the Great Pyramids is completed by the relatively modest-sized tomb of Mikerin, built for the grandson of Cheops. Contrary to the loud nickname “Heru” (high), it reaches only 62 meters in height, but it emphasizes the greatness of the pyramids of Cheops and Khafre.
Great Sphinx
Great Sphinx
At the foot of the Giza plateau stands a monumental sculpture 73 meters long and 20 meters high. It is carved from a monolithic limestone rock in the shape of a sphinx - mythical creature with the head of a man, the paws and body of a lion. According to scientists, The facial features of the Great Sphinx are similar to the appearance of Pharaoh Khafre. The Sphinx's gaze is directed to the east, towards to 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 the vandalism is simple: Islam prohibits making images of people and animals.
The Great Sphinx against the background of the Pyramid of Khafre
Secrets of ancient times: why were the pyramids built?
Disputes about the purpose of the pyramids are still ongoing. The traditional version says that the mounds towering above the mortal world could be the tombs of the pharaohs, from where their ashes rose closer to the sky and the sun. Some scientists consider the pyramids to be temples where sun worshipers performed religious rites; others are scientific laboratories created for astronomical observations. German archaeologists have put forward another hypothesis: pyramids are natural generators of earthly energy.
