The Great Sphinx at Giza is a monumental figure carved from a monolithic limestone rock in the form of a sphinx lying on the sand of a lion whose face is similar to Pharaoh Khafre, whose tomb is located nearby. The Sphinx is located on the west bank of the Nile, in Giza. ( 11 photos)
1. It is generally accepted that the face of the Sphinx is similar to the face of the Egyptian pharaoh Chefre, who existed around 2575-2465. BC e. The Sphinx is 73 meters long, 20 meters high, 11.5 meters at the shoulders, 4.1 meters wide and 5 meters high. Between the front paws of the Sphinx there was once a small sanctuary.
2. There is a moat around the Sphinx, 5.5 meters wide and 2.5 meters deep. In general, the Sphinx is a mythical creature with the head of a woman, the paws and body of a lion, the wings of an eagle and the tail of a bull. The Sphinx at Giza is slightly different from the definition. The Great Sphinx is the oldest monumental sculpture in the world.
3. According to one version, the Sphinx was created around 2500 BC. but not even a millennium passed and the Sphinx was buried in the sands of Egypt. But it is not known for certain who and when created such a mysterious monument.
4. For a long time, the Sphinx has been one of the main objects in the world, around which legends and various myths gather. The Sphinx attracts lovers of fantasy and secrets.
5. The Sphinx is facing towards, and looks straight east to the point on the horizon where the Sun rises on the equinoxes. Numerous mysteries and assumptions are associated with the Sphinx. According to one of them, it is believed that the Nile had such a wide channel that the sculpture of the Sphinx was located near the shore.
6. According to one of the legends, the Great Sphinx is the guardian of the local pyramids. Since ancient times, the pharaoh has been depicted as a lion, exterminating his enemies. The fact is that almost all ancient Eastern civilizations saw in the lion a symbol of the solar deity.
8. It is also very interesting that the “Sphinx” is translated from Greek and means “strangler”.
9. The Great Sphinx of Giza has been and remains one of the most popular places in Egypt for tourists, and none of them remains indifferent to such a great and mysterious structure.
Great Sphinx (Egypt) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
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One of the most ancient sculptures in the world, without a doubt, can be called the statue of the Sphinx. In addition, it is also one of the most mysterious sculptures, because the secret of the Sphinx has not yet been fully solved. The Sphinx is a creature with a woman's head, the paws and body of a lion, the wings of an eagle and the tail of a bull. One of the largest images of the Sphinx is located on the west bank of the Nile, next to the Egyptian pyramids at Giza.
Almost everything related to the Egyptian Sphinx is controversial among scientists. The exact date of origin of this sculpture is still unknown, and it is completely incomprehensible why the statue has no nose now.
The statue, made of limestone, looks monumental and majestic. It is worth noting its impressive dimensions: length - 73 meters, height - 20 meters. The Sphinx looks at the Nile and the rising sun.
Almost everything related to the Sphinx causes controversy among scientists. The exact date of origin of this sculpture is still unknown, and it is completely incomprehensible why the statue has no nose now. The meaning of the word is also unknown: in Greek, “sphinx” means “strangler”, but what the ancient Egyptians put into this name remains a mystery.
It was customary to portray the Egyptian pharaohs as a formidable lion that would not spare a single enemy. That is why it is believed that the Sphinx guards the rest of the buried pharaohs. The author of the sculpture is unknown, but many researchers believe that it is Khafre. Admittedly, this argument is highly controversial. Proponents of the theory refer to the fact that the stones of the sculpture and the pyramid of Khafre located nearby are the same in size. In addition, an image of this pharaoh was found not far from the statue.
Interestingly, the Sphinx does not have a nose. Of course, once this detail existed, but the reason for its disappearance is still unknown. Perhaps the nose was lost during the battle between Napoleon's troops and the Turks on the territory of the pyramids in 1798. But, according to the Danish traveler Norden, the Sphinx looked like this already in 1737. There is a version that back in the 14th century, some religious fanatic mutilated the sculpture in order to fulfill the covenant of Muhammad to ban the image of a human face.
The Sphinx is missing not only a nose, but also a false ceremonial beard. Her story also causes controversy among scientists. Some believe that the beard was made much later than the sculpture itself. Others believe that the beard was made at the same time as the head and that the ancient Egyptians simply did not have the technical capabilities for the subsequent installation of parts.
The destruction of the sculpture and its subsequent restoration helped scientists find interesting facts. So, for example, Japanese archaeologists came to the conclusion that the Sphinx was built before the pyramids. In addition, they found a tunnel under the left paw of the statue, leading towards the pyramid of Khafre. It is interesting that for the first time Soviet researchers mentioned this tunnel.
For a long time, the mysterious sculpture was under a thick layer of sand. The first attempts to dig up the Sphinx were made in antiquity by Thutmose IV and Ramses II. True, they did not achieve much success. Only in 1817 was the Sphinx freed from its chest, and after more than 100 years the statue was completely unearthed.
Address: Nazlet El-Semman, Al Haram, Giza
On the west 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 of Ancient Egypt - the Great Sphinx.
What is the Great Sphinx
The Great, or Great, Sphinx is the oldest monumental sculpture of the planet and the largest of the sculptures of Egypt. The statue is carved from a monolithic rock and depicts a lying 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 that killed travelers who did not solve its riddle. The Arabs called the giant lion the "Father of Horror", and the Egyptians themselves - "shepes ankh", "the image of the living."
The Great Sphinx was highly revered in Egypt. A sanctuary was built between its front paws, on the altar of which the pharaohs laid their gifts. Some authors conveyed the legend of 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 for ancient Egyptian art. The lion was considered a royal animal, dedicated to the sun god Ra, therefore, only the pharaoh was always depicted in the form of a sphinx.
Since ancient times, the Great Sphinx was considered the image of the pharaoh Khafre (Chephren), since it is located next to his pyramid and, as it were, guards 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 near the statue, but there was a memorial temple of the pharaoh nearby, and the finds could be associated with it.
In addition, studies by anthropologists have revealed the Negroid face type of the stone giant. Numerous inscribed sculptures at the disposal of scientists do not bear any African features.
Mysteries of the Sphinx
By whom and when was the legendary monument created? For the first time, Herodotus introduced doubt about the correctness of the generally accepted point of view. Describing the pyramids in detail, the historian did not mention the Great Sphinx in a word. Clarity was introduced 500 years later by Pliny the Elder, talking about the cleaning of the monument from sand drifts. Probably, in the era of Herodotus, the Sphinx was hidden under the dunes. How many times in the history of its existence this could happen, one can only guess.
In written documents there is not a single mention of the construction of such a grandiose statue, although we know many names of the authors of much less majestic structures. The first mention of the Sphinx refers 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, the god promised to make him pharaoh. Thutmose immediately ordered to begin the liberation of the monument from the sand. The work was completed in a year. In honor of this event, a stele with a corresponding inscription was installed near the statue.
This was the first known restoration of the monument. Subsequently, the statue was more than once freed from sand drifts - under the Ptolemies, during the time of Roman and Arab rule.
Thus, historians cannot present a reasonable version of the origin of the Sphinx, which gives scope to the creativity of other specialists. So, hydrologists noticed that the lower part of the statue bears traces of erosion from a long stay in the water. The increased 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 researchers considered erosion the result of the biblical Flood - the catastrophic flood of the Nile 12 thousand years ago. Some have even spoken of the Ice Age. The hypothesis, however, has been contested. The destruction was explained by the action of rains and the low quality of the stone.
Astronomers made their contribution, 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 position of the stars in Orion's Belt, representing Osiris, and the Sphinx looks at the point of sunrise on 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 pracivilizations. The apologists of these theories, as always, do not provide clear evidence.
The Egyptian colossus holds many other mysteries. For example, there is no suggestion 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 the sands was carried out in 1925. The statue has survived to this day in a good state of preservation. 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 severely damaged - his nose is beaten off. At one time, damage was attributed to Napoleon's gunners, who shot the statue from cannons. However, the Arab historian al-Makrizi reported back 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 forbids portraying a person. This statement raises doubts, since the Sphinx was revered by the local population. It was believed that it causes the life-giving floods of the Nile.
There are other assumptions as well. The damage is explained by natural factors, as well as the revenge of one of the pharaohs, who wished to destroy the memory of the monarch depicted by the Sphinx. According to the third version, the nose was recaptured by the Arabs during the conquest of the country. There was a belief among some Arabian tribes that if you beat off the nose of a hostile god, he would 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 close to the legendary giant, in whose history there are many more questions than answers.
It can be seen from afar, its power attracts the eye and many questions arise. Until now, the Great Sphinx remains one of the most ancient and mysterious statues. Its height is over 20 meters. The width of the sculpture reaches 57 meters. It is surprising that the sands of the desert in the 17th century BC. devoured the Sphinx. For several centuries the sculpture disappeared. And only in the 5th century BC. Thutmose ordered it to be excavated. In 1925, the last excavations were carried out by the Egyptian Antiquities Service.
Great Sphinx as a collective image
The creators of the Sphinx attached great importance to astrology. Using her knowledge, and in particular, parking of the Sun in the Zodiac: Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius. In addition, depicting the Sphinx, the sculptors embodied in the sculpture the collective image of the pharaoh, Imhotep, the gods Baboon and Horus. Therefore, the Sphinx was given a name - "Living Image".
Age of the Great Sphinx
There are various versions about when the Great Sphinx was created. Some believe the statue is 200,000 years old. According to the 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 a giant sculpture are guided by the processes occurring in limestone as a result of erosion. Dr. R. Schoch, professor of geology at the University of Boston, takes into account the degree of erosion of the rock and believes that the Sphinx was created around 5000-6000 BC, as it rained during this period.
Unfortunately, time did not spare the figure, and people treated her barbarically. The face of the Sphinx is disfigured. In the 14th century, one of the sheikhs, in order to fulfill the covenant of Muhammad, which forbade the depiction of a human face, damaged the sculpture. The head of the Sphinx was used for training as targets and Mamelukes.
Now the place in Egypt where the monumental building is located is a place for excursions. The majestic Great Sphinx causes fear and surprise at the same time.
You can learn more about the history of Egypt and not only in the Abdin Palace, which is now a museum complex.
The Great Sphinx on the map of Cairo
It can be seen from afar, its power attracts the eye and many questions arise. Until now, the Great Sphinx remains one of the most ancient and mysterious statues. Its height is over 20 meters. The width of the sculpture reaches 57 meters. It is surprising that the sands of the desert in the 17th century BC. devoured the Sphinx. For several centuries the sculpture disappeared. And only in the 5th century BC. Thutmose ordered it to be excavated. ..." />
One of the most mysterious sculptures of our Earth was recognized as the Egyptian Sphinx. The Sphinx rises above the vast expanses of the desert in the Valley of the Kings on the Gizo Plateau. now plateau Gizo- This 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 come close to the pyramids. Literally 100 meters from the residential quarters stands 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 well as for us, they were hoary antiquity. “Forty centuries look down on you from the height 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 Cheops (in the center) seems higher, because it stands on a higher place ... Without seeing them really, imagine something quite monumental, but from a distance the pyramids seem small, and even close, 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 channel 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 sheathed with granite blocks and had heights several meters higher. But in the process of centuries of history, these blocks, as well as some directly from the pyramids, were used to build Cairo. Many well-known mosques were built precisely from the granite sheathing of the pyramids. By the way, I will say that the sheathing 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 (respectively Cheops, Khafre and Mikkerin). Moreover, Cheops and Chefren were not related, and Mikkerin was the son of Chefren. In the pyramid of Khafre there is an inscription "G.Belzoni. 1818." This discoverer wrote on March 2, 1818. The dimensions of the burial chamber are 14.2m x 5m x 6.8m (length, width and height, respectively). The nose of the Sphinx was shot from a cannon, not by Napoleonic soldiers (as some claim), but by Turkish Mamluks - Muslims do not like the display of human faces. 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 IV 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. For the construction of the pyramid, stone blocks weighing 2.5 tons each were used. At the same time, the quality of surface treatment casts doubt on the fact that we are modern people, we understand life, it is impossible to stick a knife blade between the blocks. The pyramid is oriented with the entrance to the north. Inside the pyramid there are three burial chambers, which are rooms 11 by 5 meters in size and about 6 meters high. The pharaoh's mummy was absent in the sarcophagus, as well as the alleged objects and decorations. Perhaps it was plundered in ancient times. On the south side of the pyramid is the so-called Solar Boat. On it, Cheops went to the other world, which, of course, could 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. The difference of 40 years against the backdrop of thousands of years of history looks like an insignificant period of time.
The pyramid is slightly smaller. Base 215 meters, height 145 meters. Somewhat different ratios create the illusion that it is larger than the pyramid of Cheops. The two great pyramids differ from each other in the preservation of the basalt facing at the top of the Khafre pyramid. A complex of structures associated with the pyramid is tracked. Temples, road, pyramid. Khafre was mummified in the lower temple.
Pyramid of Menkaure
This, significantly different in size, pyramid 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 think they know how, others doubt it. In any case, it was a great work of a great people. The ancient quarries, where the stone for the pyramids was mined, are still visible today. An ancient pier was discovered not far from the pyramids, the stones were delivered by ships.
In the vicinity of the great pyramids 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 sunrise, it faces east, its mouth is closed. Facial features are considered 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 one stone. The length of the sphinx from the tip of the paws to the tail is 57.3 m, the height is 20 m. A small temple has sheltered at the huge paws of the sphinx, which is now completely destroyed. Pretty well preserved. And if you also take into account that the Germans took the crown to the museum, and the French took the beard to the Louvre, and Napoleon generally fired cannons at him during the Egyptian campaign ... Although it is restored from time to time, but the remake is not felt. You can’t go directly to the statue - it stands on a high pedestal, and tourists walk around at the level of their paws along a special parapet perimeter, so it turns out that there is an irresistible deep moat between tourists and the Sphinx. When a person stands especially at dawn between the paws of the Great Egyptian Sphinx and sees how the rising sun illuminates his face, he is seized with timidity and reverent awe. At this moment, you clearly feel how old this colossal statue is - almost as old as time itself. It is said to be much older than the 4,500 years given by the Egyptologists; it is quite possible that it dates back to the last Ice Age, when, as they say, there could not yet have been a civilization capable of creating such monuments.
When a person stands at dawn between the paws of the Great Egyptian Sphinx and sees how the rising sun illuminates his face, he is seized with timidity 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 they say, there could not yet have been a civilization capable of creating such monuments. The Sphinx is the greatest mystery of antiquity. Until now, it is not known for certain who, why and when this grandiose structure was erected.
Myths and legends of the Sphinx
This majestic monument is fraught with many secrets and mysteries, for thousands of years it was shrouded in myths and legends, it was worshiped and feared, it saw the change of eras and civilizations, and only it, the Sphinx of Giza, remained imperishable and silent keeper of the secrets of the distant past.
1. Once he was considered an eternal god. Then he fell into the trap of oblivion and fell into an enchanted dream. What secret does this majestic guardian keep? In the myths of the ancient Greeks, the Sphinx is a monster generated by Typhon and Echidna, with the face and chest 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 each passerby a riddle - “Which of the living creatures walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?”. Unable to give a clue, the Sphinx killed. Oedipus solved the riddle - "Man in childhood, maturity and old age." After that, 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 rising of the Sun, feeding on cosmic power. 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 legend, the founder of esoteric knowledge, Hermes Trismegistus, owned the secrets of making a "philosopher's stone", with which metal could be turned into gold. Also, the "philosopher's stone" was the basis for creating the "elixir of immortality." According to legend, Trismegistus was the son of an Egyptian god named Thoth, who built the first pyramid on the banks of the Nile and built the Sphinx next to the pyramid complex in Giza, designed to protect the recipe for the "elixir of immortality" that was hidden in its depths.
4. Initially, in the 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 spawned by Typhon and Echidna, with the body of a lion, the face and chest of a woman, and the wings of a bird. located on a mountain near the city of Thebes, the Sphinx asked each passerby a riddle - "Which of the living beings walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?" Those who failed to solve the riddle, the Sphinx killed. Oedipus managed to give a guess - "A man in childhood, maturity and old age." Then the Sphinx threw herself off the cliff.
5. The Arabs living in this area called the statue Abul Hol, which 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 incarnation of King Khafra with the symbols of royal power and the body of the king of the desert. Therefore, in the understanding of the ancient Egyptians, the Sphinx in one person was a god and a lion guarding his 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 the occult 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. The four manifestations of a single substance were represented by the Sphinx. Its wings corresponded to the air, the bull's body to the earth, the female breast to the water, and the lion's paws to the fire. Such is the secret of the three pyramids guarded by the Sphinx, with square bases and triangular faces. In erecting these monuments, Egypt tried to erect the Herculean pillars 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 come down to us and related to the era of the construction of the pyramids, not the slightest mention of the Sphinx was found. And, if the hieroglyphs conveyed to us the names of the builders of the Great Pyramids, who created the Sphinx remains a mystery. We found the answer in the writings 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 cleared of 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 him - he was buried under a many-meter layer of sand. Studying the sculpture, scientists came to the conclusion that the Sphinx periodically hid 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 a text was carved, 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 manages to clean the Sphinx from the sand, then his reign will be prosperous and long. It also says that the sculpture was dug up, spending almost a year on it. 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 built much earlier than previously thought. But there are a lot of different hypotheses about the time of the construction of the statue. Therefore, the Egyptologists of the world to this day have not come to a consensus. Studies of significant traces of erosion spoke of the traces of a flood that once occurred in these places. And the estimated date of the event was named - 8000 BC, and repeated studies conducted by the British pushed this date to 12000 BC. In addition, it turned out that traces of erosion fall 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 argue that the date of the flood that occurred in Egypt coincides with the date of the death of Atlantis according to Plato ... Other scientists are trying to calculate the time of the creation of the Sphinx according to the Bible, believing that the Flood could cause erosion. Based on the description of the weather that stood in Egypt (the dream of the pharaoh, unraveled by Joseph), it can be assumed that the Sphinx was built around 2820-2620 BC. This hypothesis is indirectly confirmed by an Arab legend, which tells that the pyramids were built to save the Egyptians from the Great Flood. And the Sphinx was erected in order to warn people of an impending disaster. Therefore, the gaze of the Sphinx is alert, and its third eye is directed to the Cosmos.
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 millennium later - the Great Sphinx. According to N. N. Sychenov, "The construction of the Sphinx began 42.2 thousand years BC and completed construction after 1200 years."
4. The famous American medium Edward Casey claimed that "The Sphinx and the pyramids of Cheops were built between 10490 and 10390 BC." Robert Schoch, professor of geology at Boston University, based on studies of traces of water erosion of the Sphinx, believes that the time of the creation of the statue lies between 7000 and 5000 BC, because it was during this period that heavy rains fell over Egypt, which could cause erosion.
5. John West believes that the main erosion occurred in an earlier, rainy period - about 10,000 BC.
6. Other scientists share the time of the creation of the Sphinx and the time of the construction of the pyramids.
However, many ancient legends and tales of different peoples testify against this: Greeks, Romans, Chaldeans, Arabs. These legends tell that a tunnel was dug underground and a hiding place was arranged. The tunnel served as a communication between the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx, which was used by the priests...
Sensations of the secrets of the Sphinx, discovered during its renovation
Time has spared this great monument of ancient history, but people have treated it much less respectfully. One Egyptian ruler ordered to beat off the nose of the Sphinx. At the beginning of the XVIII century, the giant's face was fired from a cannon, and Napoleon's soldiers fired into his eyes from guns. The British beat off the stone beard and took it to the British Museum.
Today, the acrid smoke of Cairo factories and car exhausts destroy stones. In 1988, a huge block weighing 350 kilograms broke off from the neck of the Sphinx and fell. The disrepair of the sculpture caused concern among UNESCO. Refurbishment began, sparking renewed interest in the mysteries of the Sphinx and the opportunity to re-explore the grandiose sculpture. The discoveries were not long in coming.
First sensation: Japanese archaeologists led by Professor Yoshimura, using special instruments, first illuminated the array of the Cheops pyramid, and then examined the stones of the Sphinx. The conclusion was striking: 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 pyramid of Cheops.
Third sensation: on the Sphinx, traces of erosion were found of a large flow of water that moved from north to south. It was not a flood of the Nile, but a biblical catastrophe that occurred about eight to twelve thousand years before our era.
Fourth sensation: French archaeologists made a curious 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 Khafra.
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 badly damaged by erosion, the idea of a greater antiquity of the sphinx arose: erosion from water, and not from sand and wind. Geological research has shown the same. 10 thousand years ago there were lakes in the Sahara. Schock and West presented their findings at the annual conference of the Geological Society of America. A fierce debate ensued between geologists and Egyptologists. The front and sides are more susceptible to erosion. Whereas the back 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 a detailed analysis of all the 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 made that proved that the faces on the sculpture of Pharaoh Khafre in the Cairo Museum and the face of the Sphinx are different.
Conclusions:
The Sphinx has always been considered the guardian of knowledge, the guardian of the portal leading to the world of 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 that live in the Universe. All connected in the Great Sphinx. An ideal 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, in practice, do not give answers to them. However, it can be assumed that in the depths of centuries a highly developed civilization existed on our Earth, and its representatives, possessing advanced 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 descend from its usual circle." But while 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. 
