Let's try to understand the purpose of its creation and the methods of its construction. Find out what they say scientific world about the age of the Sphinx. What does he hide inside and what role does he play in relation to the pyramids? We will weed out fiction and assumptions, leaving only scientifically confirmed facts.
Brief description of the Sphinx in Egypt
Sphinx and 50 jets
The Sphinx in Egypt is the most grandiose surviving sculpture of antiquity. The length of the body is 3 compartment cars (73.5 m), and the height is a 6-storey building (20 m). The bus is smaller than one front paw. And the weight of 50 jet airliners is equal to the weight of a giant.
The blocks that make up the paws were added during the New Kingdom period to restore the original appearance. The sacred cobra, nose and ritual beard - symbols of the power of the pharaohs - are absent. Fragments of the latter are exhibited in the British Museum.
Near the ear, remnants of the original dark red paint can be seen.
What can strange proportions say?
One of the main abnormalities of the figure is the disproportion of the head and torso. It seems that top part was remade several times by subsequent rulers. There are opinions that at first the head of the idol was either a ram or a falcon and later turned into a human form. Restorations and renovations over many thousands of years could reduce the head or enlarge the body.
Where is the Sphinx located?
The monument is located in the necropolis of Memphis next to the pyramidal structures of Khufu (Cheops), Khafre (Chefren) and Menkaur (Micerin) about 10 km from Cairo, on west bank Nile river on the Giza plateau.
God is the other way around or what does the giant symbolize
In ancient Egypt, the figure of the Lion personified the power of the pharaohs. In Abydos, the cemetery of the first Egyptian kings, archaeologists have found about 30 skeletons of adults who were under 20 years old, and ... the bones of lions. The gods of the ancient Egyptians were always depicted with a human body and an animal head, but here it is the other way around: a human head the size of a house on the body of a lion.
Maybe this suggests that the power and strength of the lion was combined with human wisdom and the ability to control this power? But to whom did this power and wisdom belong? Whose features are carved in stone?
Unraveling the secret of construction: interesting facts
The world's leading Egyptologist Mark Lehner spent 5 years next to the mysterious creature, exploring him, the materials and rock around. He made up detailed map statues and came to an unequivocal conclusion: the statue was carved from limestone, which lies at the base of the Giza plateau.
First, they hollowed out a trench in the form of a horseshoe, leaving a huge block in the center. And then the sculptors carved a monument out of it. Blocks weighing up to 100 tons for the construction of the walls of the temple in front of the Sphinx were taken from here.
But this is only part of the puzzle. The other is how exactly did they do it?
Together with Rick Brown, an expert on ancient tools, Mark reproduced the tools depicted in the drawings of the tombs over 4000 years old. These were copper chisels, a two-handed pestle and a hammer. Then, with these tools, they cut out a detail of the monument from the limestone block: the missing nose.
This experiment allowed us to calculate that the creation of a mysterious figure could work one hundred sculptors during three years . At the same time, they were accompanied by a whole army of workers who created tools, dragged the rock and did other necessary work.
Who broke the nose of the colossus?
When Napoleon arrived in Egypt in 1798, he saw mysterious monster already without a nose, as the drawings of the 18th century prove: the face was like this long before the arrival of the French. Although you can meet the opinion that the nose was recaptured by the French military.
There are other versions. For example, the shooting of Turkish (according to other sources - English) soldiers, whose target was the face of an idol, is called. Or there is a story that tells of a fanatical Sufi monk in the 8th century AD who mutilated a “blasphemous idol” with a chisel.
Fragments of the ritual beard of the Egyptian Sphinx. British Museum, Photo from EgyptArchive
Indeed, there are traces of wedges driven into the bridge of the nose and near the nostril. The impression is that someone hammered them on purpose to break off the part.
Prophetic dream of the prince at the Sphinx
The monument was saved from complete destruction by the sands that covered it for millennia. Attempts to restore the colossus have been made since Thutmose IV. There is a legend how during the hunt, resting in the midday shade of the building, the son of the king fell asleep and had a dream. The giant deity promised him the crown of the Upper and Lower Realms and in return asked him to be released from the consuming desert. The Granite Dream Stele, set between the paws, keeps this story.
Drawing of the Great Sphinx 1737 Hood. Frederic Norden
The prince not only dug up the deity, but also surrounded him with high stone wall. In late 2010, Egyptian archaeologists excavated sites brick wall, which stretched for 132 m around the monument. Scientists believe that this is the work of Thutmose IV, who wants to protect the statue from drifts.
The Story of the Unfortunate Restoration of the Sphinx at Giza
Despite efforts, the structure was again filled up. In 1858 some of the sand was cleared by Auguste Mariette, founder of the Egyptian Antiquities Service. And in the period from 1925 to 1936. the French engineer Emile Baraise completed the clearing completely. Perhaps for the first time, the divine beast was exposed to the elements again.
It is also obvious that the statue is being destroyed due to wind, humidity and exhaust gases from Cairo. Realizing this, the authorities are trying to preserve the ancient monument. In the last century, in 1950, a huge and costly restoration and conservation project was started.
But at the initial stage of work, instead of benefit, only additional damage was caused. The cement used for the renovation was later found to be incompatible with the limestone. For 6 years, more than 2000 limestone blocks were added to the structure, chemical treatment was carried out, but ... this did not bring a positive result.
How M. Lehner guessed who the Great Sphinx of Egypt represents
Excavations of the temple of Khafre (in the foreground).
The Cheop pyramid is in the background.
Photograph by Henri Bechard, 1887
The tombs of the pharaohs change their shape and size over time. and appear. BUT Great Sphinx the only one.
A significant number of Egyptologists believe that he represents the pharaoh Khafre (Havra) from the fourth dynasty, because. a similar small stone silhouette with his face was found nearby. The dimensions of the blocks of the tomb of Khafre (circa 2540 BC) and the monster also coincide. Despite their claims, no one knows for sure when and by whom this statue was installed in Giza.
Mark Lehner found the answer to this question as well. He studied the structure of the Sphinx Temple, which is 9 meters away. In the days of spring and autumn equinox, the sun at sunset connects the two sanctuaries of the temple and the pyramid of Khafre, in one line.
The religion of the ancient Egyptian kingdom was based on the worship of the sun. locals worshiped the idol as the incarnation of the Sun God, calling it Khor-Em-Akhet. Comparing these facts, Mark determines the original purpose of the Sphinx and its identity: Khafre face, the son of Cheops, looks from the figure of a god who protects the pharaoh's journey to the afterlife, making it safe.
In 1996, a New York detective and identification expert revealed that the resemblance is more noticeable with Chefren's older brother Djedefre (or son according to other sources). The debate on this topic is still ongoing.
How old is the giant anyway? Writer vs Scientists
Explorer John Anthony West
There is a lively debate going on over the dating of the monument. Writer John Anthony West was the first to notice footprints on the body of a lion. one erosion. On other structures of the plateau, wind or sand erosion is observed. He contacted Boston University geologist and assistant professor Robert M. Schoch, who, after reviewing the material, agreed with West's findings. In 1993, their teamwork The Secret of the Sphinx, which won an Emmy Award for Best Research and a nomination for Best Documentary.
Although today this area is arid, about 10,000 years ago the climate there was humid and rainy. West and Schoch concluded that the age of the Sphinx must be 7,000 to 10,000 years.
Scholars have dismissed Schoch's theory as grossly misguided, pointing out that the once-common, severe rainstorms in Egypt ceased before the appearance of the sculpture. But the question remains: Why was it that only this Giza structure showed signs of water damage?
Spiritual and supernatural interpretations about the purpose of the Sphinx
The famous English journalist Paul Brunton spent a lot of time traveling in Eastern countries, lived with monks and mystics, studied the history and religion of Ancient Egypt. He explored the royal tombs, met with famous fakirs and hypnotists.
His favorite symbol of the country, a mysterious giant, told him his secrets during a night spent in the Great Pyramid. The book "In Search of Mystical Egypt" tells how one day the secret of all things was revealed to him.
The American mystic and prophet Edgar Cayce is confident in the theory that can be read in his book on Atlantis. He pointed out that the secret knowledge of the Atlanteans was stored next to the Sphinx.
Sketch by Vivant Duvon 1798. Depicts a man climbing out of a hole at the top.
The writer Robert Bauval published an article in 1989 that the three pyramids at Giza formed a kind of three-dimensional "hologram" of the three stars of Orion's belt relative to the Nile and milky way. He developed an elaborate theory that all the structures in the area, together with the ancient scriptures, constituted an astronomical map.
The most suitable position of the stars in the sky for this interpretation was in 10500 BC. This date is, for obvious reasons, disputed by Egyptologists, since not a single archaeological artifact dating from these years has been excavated here.
New mysteries of the Sphinx in Egypt?
There are various legends about the secret passages associated with this artifact. Research at the University of Florida and Boston, as well as Waseda University in Japan, revealed various anomalies around the figure. Although, it is possible that these are natural features.
In 1995, workers repairing a nearby car park stumbled upon a series of tunnels and paths, two of which plunge into the dungeon near the man-beast's stone body. R. Bauval is convinced that these structures are the same age.
Between 1991 and 1993, while studying damage to the monument with a seismograph, Anthony West's team discovered correct form hollow spaces or chambers located at a depth of several meters between the forelimbs and on both sides of the mysterious image. But permission for a deeper study was not received. The mystery of the underground rooms has not yet been solved.
The Sphinx in Egypt continues to excite inquisitive minds. There are many speculations and assumptions around the ancient monument on our planet. Will we ever know who and why left this mark on Earth?
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The large sphinx, whose figure is carved from solid rock and faces east, is much older than the pyramids located in the Giza Valley. This fact is proved by the inventory stele, discovered in the vicinity of Cairo in 1857.
According to inscriptions engraved on ancient granite, the Sphinx was restored in the era of Pharaoh Khafre, whose reign dates back presumably to 2558 BC. e. Previously, it was believed that the half-lion-half-man was only erected at this time.
Mysteries of the ancient Sphinx
The Sphinx is located next to the pyramid of Khafre, so scientists agreed that the stone lion with human head is the keeper of the tomb of the great king of the Egyptian people. However, in the papyri, which described the course of the construction of the pyramids, there is no information about the huge sculpture.
There is no such information in the records of Herodotus, who visited Egypt in the 5th century BC. e. How could an ancient Greek historian fail to notice a figure whose height is 20 m and width 57 m?
Previously, it was believed that the head of the Sphinx has a portrait resemblance to Khafre. In 1993, the famous American identikit compiler Frank Domingo was invited to Egypt for independent research.
For identification, a sculpture of the pharaoh, kept in the museum of Cairo, was used. results comparative analysis showed that the faces of the Sphinx and Khafre have nothing in common.
Witness of the Flood
By the end of the 20th century, the decrepit state of the half-lion figure caused restoration work. In 1988, a group of archaeologists from Japan, led by Professor Yoshimura, used electronic equipment to explore the pyramids and the Sphinx. The results were stunning: the material from which the huge statue is made is much older than the blocks of the pyramids.
The second sensational discovery was the discovery of a tunnel sculpture under the paw. By the way, the American clairvoyant Edgar Cayce suggested at the beginning of the 20th century that under the Sphinx is hidden room, which is a repository of centuries-old scrolls with information about disappeared civilizations.
O ancient origin the guardian of the pyramids is also evidenced by the traces of erosion on his body. In the 90s of the XX century, hydrologists came to the conclusion that these depressions are the result of the action of powerful water flows.
According to paleoclimatologists, the last showers of such force irrigated the lands of Egypt seven thousand years ago, but even they could not have damaged the statue so badly. Scientists believe that damage could cause more major disaster- Global flood.
An ancient legend says that when the half-lion, half-man speaks, life on Earth will change its course. Perhaps the Sphinx harbors knowledge that can fundamentally change humanity. What other mysteries does the witness of the events that took place more than 8 thousand years ago hide in himself?
While there is no answer to this question, the silent prophet of the desert knows how to keep secrets. But it is known that the ancient pharaohs.
Hearing a combination of words " Ancient Egypt”, many will immediately imagine the majestic pyramids and the great Sphinx - it is with them that the 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. Yes, in ancient Greece you can meet a similar creature - a beautiful woman with wings. In Egypt, these creatures were most often male. A sphinx with the face of a female pharaoh Hatshepsut is known. Having received the throne and pushed aside the rightful heir, this imperious woman tried to rule like a man, she even wore 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 found near such structures. So, in the temple of the supreme deity, solar Amon, 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. Limestone was used as a material for creation, of which there were quite a lot in the Land of the Pyramids.
Description
The ancient Egyptians depicted the sphinx like this:
- The head of a human, most often a pharaoh.
- The body of a lion, one of the sacred animals of the hot country of Kemet.
But such an appearance is not the only option for depicting a mythological creature. Modern finds prove that there were other species, for example with a head:
- a ram (the so-called cryosphinxes were installed at the temple of Amon);
- Falcon (they were called hierakosphinxes and 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 this is a statue with the body of a lion and the head of another creature (more often a man, a ram), which was installed in the immediate vicinity of the 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, approximately in 2700-2500. BC e. Interestingly, the first representative was female and portrayed Queen Hetepher II. This statue has reached us, everyone can look at it in the Cairo Museum.
Everyone knows the Great Sphinx at Giza, which we will discuss 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 Alley of Sphinxes near the Temple of Amun in Luxor.
The greatest value
The most famous all over the world, of course, is the Great Sphinx, which not only amazes the imagination with its huge size, but also sets many mysteries for the scientific community.
The giant with a lion's body is located on the plateau at Giza (near the capital of the modern state, Cairo) and is part of the burial complex, which also includes the three great pyramids. It is carved from a monolithic block and is the largest structure for which a single stone was used.
Even the age of this outstanding monument causes controversy, 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 of the legends says, by the barbaric actions of the soldiers of Napoleon's army, most likely depicts Pharaoh Khafre.
- The face of the giant is turned to the east, and it is there that 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, amaze the imagination: length - more than 55 meters, width - about 20 meters, shoulder width - more than 11 meters.
- Previously ancient sphinx was painted, as evidenced by the preserved remains of paint: red, blue and yellow.
- Also, the statue had a beard, characteristic of the kings of Egypt. It has survived to this day, although separate from the sculpture - it is kept in the British Museum.
The giant was buried under the sands several times, it 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 headdress traditional for pharaohs, decorated with a sacred cobra, but it was completely destroyed.
- Lost the statue and false beard.
- Nose injury has already been mentioned. Someone blames the shelling of Napoleon's army for this, others - the actions of Turkish soldiers. There is also a version that the protruding part suffered from wind and humidity.
Despite this, the monument is one of greatest creations ancient.
Mysteries of history
Let's get acquainted with the secrets of the Egyptian Sphinx, many of which have not been solved so far:
- Legend has it that under the giant monument there are three underground passages. However, only one of them was found - behind the giant's head.
- The age of the largest sphinx is still unknown. Most scholars believe that it was built during the reign of Khafre, but there are those who consider the sculpture to be more ancient. So, her face and head retained traces of exposure water element, therefore, the hypothesis appeared that the giant was erected more than 6 millennia ago, when a terrible flood hit Egypt.
- Perhaps the army of the French emperor is wrongly accused of damaging 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 had not yet been born at that time.
- As you know, the Egyptians knew writing and documented everything in detail on papyri - from aggressive campaigns and the construction of temples before the collection of taxes. However, not a single scroll has been found that would contain 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 writings of Pliny the Elder, which refers to the work of digging out sculptures from sand.
majestic monument ancient world has not yet revealed all its mysteries to us, so his research continues.
Restoration and protection
We learned what the Sphinx is, what role it played in the worldview ancient egyptian. unearth huge figure from the sand and partially restore it tried even under the pharaohs. It is known that such work was carried out during the time of Thutmose IV. A granite stele (the so-called “Stele of Sleep”) has been preserved, which tells that one day the pharaoh had a dream in which the god Ra ordered him to clear the statue of sand, in return promising power over the entire state.
Later, the conqueror Ramses II ordered to dig up the Egyptian sphinx. Then attempts were made to 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 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 mysteries. Many of them have not yet been solved by scientists, therefore amazing figure with the body of a lion and the face of a man continues to attract attention.
The Sphinx statue in Egypt near the Giza pyramids is the most mysterious and ancient in the world, so it constantly attracts the attention of scientists from all points the globe. around it architectural structure antiquity, various hypotheses constantly flare up and conflicting conclusions arise. The structure itself is carved from several blocks of limestone and partially covered with masonry of the same material. If we compare the dimensions of the Sphinx (length 72 m, height 20 m, width between the paws 11 m), then the scale of its construction is striking.
The main mysteries of the Sphinx
Age of the Sphinx
The most important mystery of the Egyptian Sphinx is its date of creation or the era when it was built. The main hypothesis so far has been that the Sphinx was built along with the Pyramid of Cheops and was its age. But modern research showed that the Sphinx was built much earlier than all the pyramids of Egypt. Erosion study of the limestone from which the Sphinx is built reveals what it survived a large number of natural water disasters. In this regard, many British scientists come to the conclusion that the Sphinx existed during the Flood, which is at least 10,000 years before our era. The latest study of Japanese scientists by echo sounder in once again confirm the opinions of British colleagues, and say that the limestone of the Sphinx was processed approximately 12 millennia BC.
Creators of the Sphinx
Based on them latest research scientists of the statue of the Egyptian Sphinx, then the conclusion is logical that this structure was not built by the ancient Egyptians. The question arises: "Who built the Sphinx?". On the this moment certain evidence, who was the author of the construction of the Sphinx, scientists do not. The opinions of scientists are divided, some researchers suggest that the builders of this structure were the Atlanteans, others tend to believe that the Sphinx was built by peoples unknown to science, others suggest that the Sphinx was built extraterrestrial civilization. One thing is clear - scientists have yet to find the answer to this riddle.
The purpose of the Sphinx
For a long time, based on the version that the Sphinx is a contemporary of the pyramids in Giza, gave rise to numerous guesses about its purpose. The main version was that the Sphinx is the main guardian of the tombs of the pharaohs and their peace in afterlife. Another version says that the statue personifies the four seasons: the paws of the statue are summer, the face is winter, invisible wings are autumn, and the lion's body is spring.
All assumptions of Egyptologists regarding this riddle of the Sphinx can be refuted at any time if the scientific world recognizes the fact that the statue of the Sphinx is much older. Egyptian pyramids and was built by a civilization that existed much earlier than the ancient Egyptian.
The image of the Sphinx
Until now, many Egyptologists were inclined to believe that the face of the Sphinx was a copy of the pharaoh Hevren (2574-2465 BC), but this version had many opponents who refuted given fact leaning towards the fact that the face of the Sphinx belongs to the representative negroid race and does not look like the surviving images of Hevren. In addition, this version can be refuted by modern studies of Japanese scientists who have come to the conclusion that the Sphinx is much older than the Egyptian pyramids. At the same time, Japanese scientists themselves during their research discovered a room under the left paw of the Sphinx, which is the entrance to the tunnel leading towards the pyramid of Pharaoh Hevren. Unfortunately, the answers to many questions could be given by studying the found room and the tunnel, but the Egyptian authorities refused the researchers to further study the statue. To date, the found room is one of the most relevant mysteries of the Sphinx.
When people talk about places where developed ancient civilizations existed, Ancient Egypt comes to mind first. This country, like a magician's cylinder, keeps many secrets and mysteries. The pyramid complex, located in a valley near Cairo, is one of them. But not only the burial places of the ancient rulers of Egypt annually attract millions of tourists to this valley. The greatest interest among them and among scientists is enigmatic figure The Great Sphinx, which is a symbol of Egypt and a world cultural and historical heritage.
On the western bank of the great Nile River, in the city of Giza, located in the southwestern suburbs of Cairo, not far from the Pyramid of Pharaoh Khafre, there is a sculpture of the Sphinx, the oldest of all surviving monumental sculptures. Hewn by the hands of ancient masters from a huge limestone rock, it is a figure with the body of a lion and the head of a man. The eyes of this mythical entity are directed to that place on the horizon, above which the sun appears on the days of the seasonal equinoxes, revered by the ancient Egyptians as the highest deity. The dimensions of the Great Sphinx are amazing: the height exceeds 20 meters, and the length of the mighty body is more than 72 meters.
The secret of the origin of the Sphinx.
For many centuries, the mystery of the origin of the Sphinx statue in Egypt haunts adventurers, scientists, tourists, poets and writers. Despite the fact that historians have been trying for centuries to find out when and by whom, and most importantly why this grandiose structure was erected, they have not yet been able to get closer to the solution. In ancient papyri there is detailed evidence of the construction of many pyramids, the names of those who participated in their creation are mentioned. However, no such data was found about the Sphinx, which gave impetus to disagreements in the interpretation of the age and purpose of erecting this monument.
The first recorded historical mention of it is considered to be the writings of Pliny the Elder, dating from the beginning of the first century AD. In them, the ancient Roman writer and historian noted that regular work on clearing the statue of the Sphinx in Egypt from the sand. It is noteworthy that even the real name of the monument has not been preserved. And the one by which he is now known, Greek origin and means "strangler". Although many Egyptologists tend to believe that his name means "the image of Being" or "the image of God."
A lot of controversy arises in the scientific world about the age of the Sphinx. Some researchers believe that the similarity of the materials from which the monument was carved and the stone blocks used in the construction of the Khafre pyramid is indisputable evidence of their same age, i.e. they date back to 2500 BC. However, in the early 90s of the XX century, a group of Japanese archaeologists, while studying the Sphinx, came to a stunning conclusion: the traces of processing left on the stone indicate more early origin monument. This fact is confirmed by geological studies based on the influence of erosion on the surface of the Sphinx, which allowed the 70th century BC to be considered the moment the monument appeared. And the research of hydrologists, who studied the effect of rain flows on the limestone from which the monument was created, pushed back its age by another 3-4 millennia.
There is still no consensus on whose head is on the body of the Egyptian Sphinx. According to some assumptions, earlier it was a statue of a lion, and the human face was carved much later. Some researchers attribute it to Pharaoh Khafre, explaining this by the similarity of the statue with the sculptural images of the pharaohs of the VI dynasty. Others suggest that this is the image of Cheops, and others - the great Cleopatra. There is also a fantastic assumption that this is one of the rulers of the mythical Atlantis.
For millennia, time dominated the appearance of the Great Sphinx. Over the years, the cobra, a symbol of divine power, which was placed on the forehead of the statue, collapsed and disappeared, and the festive headdress covering the head was partially destroyed. Unfortunately, the man also had a hand in this. Wishing to fulfill the precepts left to the Muslims by the Prophet Muhammad, one of the rulers in the XIV century ordered to beat off the nose of the sculpture. Cannon shots in the 18th century severely damaged the face, and the soldiers of the Napoleonic army in the early 19th century used the Sphinx as a target during practice shooting. Later, when research was being carried out in the Valley of the Pyramids, a false beard was beaten off on behalf of the Sphinx statue in Egypt, fragments of which are stored in Cairo and British museums. Today, the state of the ancient monument is affected by car exhaust and nearby lime factories. According to studies carried out over the past 20th century, the monument suffered more damage than in all the past millennia.
Restoration work.
For many centuries of the existence of the Sphinx, the sands have repeatedly covered it. The first clearings, during which only the front paws were released, were undertaken under Pharaoh Thutmose IV. To commemorate this, they placed commemorative sign. In addition to excavations, primitive restoration work was carried out to strengthen the lower part of the statue.
In 1817, Italian scientists managed to clear the chest of the Sphinx from the sand, but more than a hundred years passed before its complete release. This happened in 1925. In the late 80s of the XX century, a part of the right shoulder of the statue collapsed. During the restoration work, about 12,000 limestone blocks were replaced.
Geolocation work carried out in 1988 by Japanese scientists made it possible to discover a narrow tunnel starting under the left paw. It stretches in the direction of the Khafre pyramid and goes deeper. A year later, during the implementation of seismic surveys, a camera was discovered rectangular shape located under the front limbs of the Sphinx. All this indicates that the Great Sphinx is in no hurry to reveal all its secrets.
After restoration work completed at the end of 2014, the ancient statue again became available to tourists. In the evening, the Sphinx greets visitors in several languages, which, together with the illumination, creates an incredible effect.
To preserve this majestic structure for future generations, the Egyptian government plans to build a glass sarcophagus over it to protect the monument of history and culture from adverse conditions.
