One of the oldest 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 female head, paws and the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle and the tail of a bull. One of the largest depictions of the Sphinx is on the west bank of the Nile, next to the Egyptian pyramids at Giza. The statue, made of limestone rock, 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 is controversial among scientists. The exact date of the origin of this sculpture is still unknown. And it is completely incomprehensible why now the statue has no nose. The meaning of the word is also unknown. In translation from Greek “sphinx” means “strangler”, but what the ancient Egyptians put into this name remains a mystery.
It was customary to depict the Egyptian pharaohs in the form of a formidable lion, which will not spare any enemy. That is why it believed that the Sphinx protects the peace of the buried pharaohs. The author of the sculpture is unknown, but many researchers believe that it is Khefren. True, this judgment is very controversial. Proponents of the theory refer to the fact that the stones of the sculpture and the nearby pyramid of Khafre are the same in size. In addition, an image of this pharaoh found near the statue.
Interestingly, the Sphinx has no nose. Of course, this detail once existed, but the reason for its disappearance is still unknown. Perhaps the nose lost during the battle of Napoleon’s troops with 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 behest of Muhammad to prohibit the depiction of a human face.
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