sphinx in egypt

The Sphinx is the most mysterious and inexplicable visiting card of Egypt. Thousands of travelers visit Egypt every year just to see this colossal thousand-year-old monument of history with their own eyes. Located on the western bank of the royal Nile in the ancient city of Giza, the Great Sphinx is still the most mysterious and mysterious sculpture, about which there are many legends and legends.

Until now, it is not known exactly in what year the construction of this huge monument with the figure of a lion and a human face began. It is also not known for certain what this sculpture was called in ancient Egypt. The word sphinx is Greek, the literal translation is “strangler”. In Arabic, the sphinx means "progenitor or father of horror." This strange name has also given rise to many legends and speculations. The Great Sphinx guards the pyramids of the pharaohs, and as scientists suggest, the sculpture is designed to terrify and scare away tomb robbers.

A large sculpture guards the entrance to the burial pyramids of the pharaohs Menkaur and Khafre. The face, carved from limestone, according to legend, belongs to the pharaoh Khafre. Another legend says that the Sphinx is the god Horus, who daily welcomes his father, the sun god Ra, in the sky.

The ancient Greeks believed that the sphinx is a terrible and bloodthirsty monster, designed to protect the pyramids from the invasion of strangers. It is also assumed that mass sacrifices in honor of the gods were held inside the huge hollow sphinx more than 10 thousand years ago. And it was these bloody rituals that allowed the sphinx to be known as the father of horror.

History of the Great Sphinx

The large sphinx, which is over 20 meters high, over 15 meters wide and over 70 meters long, is carved from a monolithic rock. It is this method of creating sculpture that prevents scientists from accurately determining the time of the construction of the sphinx. Corrosion from groundwater, found on the inner walls of the sculpture, helped determine the approximate age of the ancient monument - 10-13 thousand years. Egyptologists suggest that the Sphinx was erected by a completely disappeared civilization that lived on the territory of Ancient Egypt tens of thousands of years ago. Other traces of this civilization are hidden by the Mediterranean Sea after another ice age that completely changed the climate of modern Egypt.

Throughout its existence, the sphinx has been completely buried under layers of sand more than once. Many pharaohs tried to clean the sculpture. Thutmose the Fourth was able to partially free the monument from the sand, exposing the huge paws of the statue. A stele was installed between the paws, on which the words were carved that the cleaning of the sphinx from sand was a request of the god Ra, who promised the pharaoh a happy and long reign.

Over the years, the sphinx has been restored and reinforced with stone blocks more than once. The face of the statue is very badly damaged, the nose and beard are missing. There are several opinions about who caused the damage. First of all, these are winds and sandstorms, which eventually destroyed the stone. Deep chips and ruts on the sculpture and the absence of a nose are attributed to cannon strikes that were inflicted by the Mamelukes during the war between the Turks and the Napoleonic army.

Another legend says that in the 12th century the face of the statue was damaged by a Sufi fanatic, who was torn to pieces by a crowd in a fit of anger. At that time, the Sphinx for the locals was an idol, the king of the Nile, the worship of which promised the inhabitants a harvest, prosperity and fertility.

The last large-scale work on the excavation of a huge statue dates back to the 20th century. It was in 1925 that the sculpture was completely freed from under the sand. In 2014, the Great Sphinx was once again restored and opened to tourists. Now the huge guardian of the pyramids can be seen at close range.

Video - Mysterious Sphinx

Sphinxes in the history of Egypt

The avenue of sphinxes connects the Luxor temple with Karnak. The alley is a wide limestone road, on the sides of which there are eternal guards - sculptures with the body of a lion and a human face. Each sculpture is located on a low granite pedestal. After the restoration of the monuments, the alley of sphinxes has original lighting, which turns the road into an unusual and mysterious place.

Not so long ago, in 2010, during excavations in the Luxor Temple, another alley of sphinxes leading to the Nile was found. Scientists have found that a sacred boat was taken out along this road to the river during various religious holidays.

Cairo or Egyptian Museum

In a huge building located in the center of Cairo, you can find many valuables and ancient artifacts obtained during excavations of graves and necropolises with the burial places of pharaohs. It is in this museum that you can find a large collection of sphinxes of various sizes, which were transported from various historical places in Egypt. Even in front of the entrance to the museum building there is an eternal guard - a well-preserved sculpture of the sphinx.

Hotel Sphinx Aqua Park Beach Resort 5* Hurghada

The Sphinx is the national pride of Egypt, so this image is actively used in the tourism business. Do you want to plunge into the atmosphere of ancient Egypt, but at the same time enjoy a comfortable stay in a 5-star hotel? Welcome to Sphinx Aqua Park Beach Resort 5* located in Hurghada. This is a real paradise for lovers of outdoor activities on the water.

Several swimming pools located on the territory of the hotel will delight both adults and children. The hotel is located on the seafront, 100 meters from the beach.

Cozy rooms, bars and restaurants on site, laundry services, a fitness center, a spa - every vacationer will find something to their liking. The hotel is focused on family holidays, so for children there is a playground, animation services, a children's menu in the restaurant.

Table. Sphinx Aqua Park Beach Resort. Prices September 2015