What is the Egyptian Sphinx. The history of the sphinx and its symbolism among different peoples of the world. Sphinx in different nations

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 doubts 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 repeatedly 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.

(c. 2575-2465 BC), whose funerary pyramid is located nearby. The length of the statue is 72 meters, the height is 20 meters; between the front paws there was once a small sanctuary.

Purpose and name

Even more confusing is the fact that the statue's face has Negroid features, which is at odds with other surviving images of Khafre and his relatives. Forensic experts, using a computer to compare the face of the Sphinx with the signed statues of Khafre, came to the conclusion that they cannot represent the same person.

Since the 1950s in popular literature, the dating of the Sphinx to the period of the Old Kingdom began to be questioned. It has been argued that the lower part of the Sphinx is a classic example of erosion, caused by the long exposure of a stone to water. The last time the corresponding level of precipitation was observed in Egypt at the turn of the 4th and 3rd millennia, which, according to supporters of this theory, indicates the creation of the statue in the Predynastic period or even earlier. In the scientific literature, the features of sculpture erosion are explained by other reasons - secondary fracturing, the action of acid rain, and the poor quality of limestone.

The relatively small size of the head prompted Boston geologist Robert Schoch to suggest that the statue originally had the face of a lion, from which one of the pharaohs ordered to carve a mysteriously smiling face. human face in his own image and likeness. This hypothesis did not find recognition in the scientific community, as well as Graham Hancock's assumption about the correlation of the three pyramids with the stars in the constellation Orion, which was allegedly observed in the 11th millennium BC. e. (See en:Orion Correlation Theory).

Descriptions

The Italians managed to clear the entire chest of the Sphinx from sand in 1817, and it was completely freed from millennia-old sand drifts in 1925.

In 2014, the sphinx underwent a four-month restoration, after which it became available to tourists.

losses

Sphinx face in profile.

The statue is missing a nose 1.5 meters wide. Its absence can be explained both by the natural destruction of the stone (centuries-old action of wind and moisture), and by human influence. There is a legend that this detail of the statue was knocked off by a cannonball during the Napoleonic battle with the Turks at the Pyramids (1798); according to other versions, the place of Napoleon is taken by the British or the Mamelukes. The falsity of this opinion is indicated by the drawings of the Danish traveler Norden, who saw a noseless sphinx back in 1737.

The medieval Cairo historian al-Makrizi wrote that in 1378, a Sufi fanatic, having caught the fellahs bringing gifts to the Sphinx in the hope of replenishing their harvest, was filled with anger and beat off the nose of the “idol”, for which he was torn to pieces by the crowd. From the story of al-Makrizi, it can be concluded that for the locals the Sphinx was a kind of talisman, the ruler of the Nile, on which, as they believed, the level of the flood of the great river and, accordingly, the fertility of their fields depended.

The Sphinx has survived to this day not only without a nose, but also without a false ceremonial beard, fragments of which can be seen in the British and Cairo Museums. The timing of the appearance of the Sphinx's beard is controversial. Some authors attribute its installation to the New Kingdom. According to others, the beard was made along with the head, because the technical complexity of the high-altitude work on mounting the beard exceeded the capabilities of the builders of that time.

In works of art

• "The Prisoner of the Pharaohs" (1924) - short story by Howard Lovecraft, built on the assumption of a million-year-old Egyptian sphinx, originally depicting a supposedly creepy monster. Under Pharaoh Khafre, the features of the monster were allegedly knocked off the face of the sphinx and replaced with those of the pharaoh.

Character in the legend of Oedipus.

egyptian sphinx

The oldest images of the man-lion were discovered during the excavations of Göbekli Tepe and date back to the 10th millennium BC. e.

Statues of sphinxes became an attribute of ancient Egyptian art as early as the period of the Old Kingdom, the earliest depict, probably, Queen Hetepheres II. One of the largest monolithic statues in the world is the sphinx statue (Great Sphinx), which guards the pyramids of the pharaohs in Giza.

There were three common variants of sphinxes:

• The classic version of the Egyptian Sphinx was androsphinx with the face of a person, usually a high-ranking person - for example, a pharaoh.
• The temples of the god Horus were decorated with falcon-headed sphinxes - hieracosphinxes
• Sphinxes with a ram's face were installed near the temples of Amun - cryosphinxes.

The winged strangler was sent to Thebes by the goddess Hera for the crime of the Theban king Laius against Chrysippus. She lay in wait for travelers, asked them ingenious riddles and killed everyone who could not guess them. Hera sent her to Thebes. Having learned the riddle from the Muses, Sphinga sat down on Mount Phikes and began to ask her to the Thebans.

After Oedipus solved the riddle of the Sphinx, the monster rushed from the top of the mountain into the abyss. According to one version, the riddle was poetic, and the Sphinx ate those who did not solve it. Her image was on the helmet of Athena. In Olympia, "Theban children abducted by the sphinxes" are depicted.

There is a version that she was the side daughter of Laius, and he told her the secret of the saying of the Delphic godgiven to Cadmus. From the concubines, Lai had many sons, and all of them could not answer the question and died.

According to another interpretation, she was a sea robber who wandered the seas with an army and fleet, capturing a mountain, engaged in robbery until Oedipus defeated her with an army from Corinth. According to another interpretation, this is an amazon, the first wife of Cadmus, fortified on Mount Fikion and began to fight with Cadmus.

The protagonist of the satyr drama of Aeschylus "The Sphinx", the play of the unknown author "The Sphinx", the comedy of Epicharm "The Sphinx".

India

During the Hellenistic period, the “man-lion” motif spread far to the east of Asia. In India, a number of terms are used to refer to such sculptural images, for example, "purusamriga". Amulets with the body of a lion and the face of a man are found in southern Asia everywhere up to the Philippines and Ceylon. With each new century, Asian images become more distinctive and less and less reminiscent of Greek prototypes.

new time

"French Sphinx"

The Sphinx motif is back in European art in the era of Mannerism, when it was systematically used by the artists of the Fontainebleau school who worked at the court of Francis I. The sphinx of the New Age, as a rule, has a raised head, naked female breasts and pearl earrings. This is a kind of fantastic touch, which the architects of the XVII-XVIII centuries. refreshed by strict regular parks of royal and aristocratic residences.

Such sphinxes were inspired by the grotesque frescoes of Domus Aurea, a Nero palace found in the 15th century. The motif was easily included in the iconographic corpus of classical arabesque motifs, and spread throughout Europe through engravings in the 16th and 17th centuries. Sphinxes adorn the frescoes of the Vatican Loggia by Raphael (1515-20). In French art, sphinxes first appear in the art of the School of Fontainebleau in the 1520s and 30s, and can be traced back to the Baroque and late Regency eras (1715-1723). Thanks to the French influence, the sphinx becomes a ubiquitous landscape decoration throughout Europe (Belvedere (Vienna), Sanssouci (Potsdam), Branicki Palace (Bialystok), La Granja (Spain) and a late rococo variant in the Portuguese Queluz Palace).

Sphinx in the art of classicism

Images of the sphinx abound in the art of classicism, from the interiors of Robert Adam to the empire furniture of the era of romantic "Egyptomania".

Sphinxes became an attribute of neoclassical decoration, and there was a return to a simplified early version, more like a painting of grotesques. Freemasons considered them a symbol of the mysteries and used them in their architecture, considering them as guardians of the gates of the temple. In Masonic architecture, the sphinx is a frequent decorative detail, for example, even in the version of the image of his head on the form of documents.

It was during this period that St. Petersburg was adorned with numerous images of the Sphinx (see, for example, the Egyptian Bridge). In 1832, paired sphinxes, brought from Egypt, were installed on the Neva embankment in front of the Academy of Arts. The same motif was used in the design of the monument to the victims of political repressions.

Since 1800, in St. Petersburg, under the leadership of A.F. Labzin, the Dying Sphinx Masonic Lodge has operated. In the United States, sphinxes are still installed at the entrance to the halls of Masonic meetings as the personification of mystery and a call to silence.

see also

• The man-lion is the oldest sculptural image of an animal.
• The asteroid (896) Sphinx is named after the Sphinx (English)Russian opened in 1918.

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An excerpt characterizing the Sphinx

“Dear Natalie,” said Princess Marya, “know that I am glad that my brother found happiness ...” She stopped, feeling that she was telling a lie. Natasha noticed this stop and guessed the reason for it.
“I think, princess, that it’s inconvenient to talk about this now,” Natasha said with outward dignity and coldness, and with tears that she felt in her throat.
"What did I say, what did I do!" she thought as she left the room.
They waited a long time for Natasha for dinner that day. She sat in her room and sobbed like a child, blowing her nose and sobbing. Sonya stood over her and kissed her hair.
- Natasha, what are you talking about? she said. "What do you care about them?" Everything will pass, Natasha.
- No, if you knew how insulting it is ... just like I ...
- Don't talk, Natasha, it's not your fault, so what's your business? Kiss me,” Sonya said.
Natasha raised her head, and kissing her friend on the lips, pressed her wet face to her.
“I can't say, I don't know. No one is to blame, - said Natasha, - I am to blame. But it all hurts terribly. Oh, that he is not going! ...
She went out to dinner with red eyes. Marya Dmitrievna, who knew how the prince received the Rostovs, pretended that she did not notice Natasha's upset face and firmly and loudly joked at the table with the count and other guests.

That evening the Rostovs went to the opera, for which Marya Dmitrievna got a ticket.
Natasha did not want to go, but it was impossible to refuse Marya Dmitrievna's kindness, which was intended exclusively for her. When she, dressed, went out into the hall, waiting for her father and looking in a large mirror, she saw that she was good, very good, she became even more sad; but sad sweet and loving.
“My God, if he were here; then I would not be like before, with some kind of stupid timidity in front of something, but in a new way, I would simply hug him, snuggle up to him, make him look at me with those searching, curious eyes with which he so often looked at me and then would make him laugh, as he laughed then, and his eyes - how I see those eyes! thought Natasha. - And what do I care about his father and sister: I love him alone, him, him, with this face and eyes, with his smile, masculine and childish at the same time ... No, it’s better not to think about him, not think, forget, completely forget for this time. I can’t bear this waiting, I’m about to sob,” and she moved away from the mirror, making an effort not to cry. “And how can Sonya love Nikolinka so evenly, so calmly, and wait so long and patiently!” she thought, looking at Sonya, also dressed, who came in, with a fan in her hands.
“No, she is completely different. I cant"!
Natasha felt at that moment so softened and tender that it was not enough for her to love and know that she was loved: she needed now, now she needed to hug her beloved and speak and hear from him words of love with which her heart was full. While she was riding in the carriage, sitting next to her father, and gazing thoughtfully at the lights of the lanterns flickering in the frozen window, she felt even more in love and sadder and forgot with whom and where she was going. Having fallen into a line of carriages, the Rostovs' carriage, slowly screeching through the snow, drove up to the theater. Natasha and Sonya hurriedly jumped out, picking up dresses; the count came out, supported by lackeys, and between the ladies and men entering and selling posters, all three went into the corridor of the benoir. The sounds of music could be heard from behind the closed doors.
- Nathalie, vos cheveux, [Natalie, your hair,] - whispered Sonya. The chaplain politely and hurriedly slipped in front of the ladies and opened the door of the box. The music became louder heard at the door, the illuminated rows of boxes with the bare shoulders and arms of the ladies, and the parterre noisy and shiny with uniforms, flashed. The lady, entering the neighboring bin, looked around Natasha with a feminine, envious look. The curtain had not yet risen and the overture was being played. Natasha, straightening her dress, walked along with Sonya and sat down, looking around the illuminated rows of opposite boxes. She had not experienced for a long time the feeling that hundreds of eyes were looking at her bare arms and neck, suddenly and pleasantly and unpleasantly seized her, causing a whole swarm of memories, desires and worries corresponding to this sensation.
Two remarkably pretty girls, Natasha and Sonya, with Count Ilya Andreich, who had not been seen in Moscow for a long time, attracted everyone's attention. In addition, everyone knew vaguely about Natasha's conspiracy with Prince Andrei, knew that since then the Rostovs had lived in the village, and looked with curiosity at the bride of one of the best grooms in Russia.
Natasha grew prettier in the village, as everyone told her, and this evening, thanks to her agitated state, she was especially good. She struck with the fullness of life and beauty, combined with indifference to everything around. Her black eyes looked at the crowd, looking for no one, and a thin, bare arm above the elbow, leaning on a velvet ramp, obviously unconsciously, in time with the overture, clenched and unclenched, crumpling the poster.
“Look, here is Alenina,” Sonya said, “it seems with her mother!”
- Fathers! Mikhail Kirilych has grown even fatter,” said the old count.
– Look! Anna Mikhailovna is our current!
- The Karagins, Julie and Boris are with them. Now you can see the bride and groom. - Drubetskoy made an offer!
- How, now I found out, - said Shinshin, who was a member of the Rostovs' box.
Natasha looked in the direction in which her father was looking, and saw Julie, who, with pearls on her thick red neck (Natasha knew, sprinkled with powder), was sitting happily next to her mother.
Behind them with a smile, tilted ear to Julie's mouth, one could see the smoothly combed, beautiful head of Boris. He looked frowningly at the Rostovs and smilingly said something to his bride.
“They are talking about us, about me and him!” thought Natasha. “And he truly calms the jealousy of his bride for me: they worry in vain! If only they knew how I don't care about any of them."
At the back sat Anna Mikhailovna, dressed in a green robe, with a devoted to the will of God and a happy, festive face. In their box there was that atmosphere - the bride and groom, whom Natasha knew and loved so much. She turned away and suddenly everything that was humiliating in her morning visit came to her mind.
“What right does he have to not want to accept me into his kinship? Oh, better not think about it, not think about it until he arrives!” she said to herself and began to look at the familiar and unfamiliar faces in the stalls. In front of the stalls, in the very middle, leaning back against the ramp, stood Dolokhov with a huge shock of curly hair combed up, in a Persian costume. He stood in the very sight of the theatre, knowing that he drew the attention of the whole hall to himself, as freely as if he were standing in his room. The most brilliant youth of Moscow crowded around him, and he apparently excelled among them.
Count Ilya Andreich, laughing, nudged the blushing Sonya, pointing out to her former admirer.
- Did you know? - he asked. “And where did he come from,” the count turned to Shinshin, “because he disappeared somewhere?”
- Disappeared, - answered Shinshin. “I was in the Caucasus, and there I fled, and, they say, he was a minister in Persia for some sovereign prince, he killed the Shakhov’s brother there: well, all the Moscow ladies go crazy! Dolochoff le Persan, [Persian Dolokhov,] and that's it. We now have no word without Dolokhov: they swear by him, they call him like a sterlet, - said Shinshin. - Dolokhov, yes Kuragin Anatole - all of our ladies were driven crazy.
A tall, beautiful lady with a huge plait and very bare, white, full shoulders and neck, on which there was a double string of large pearls, entered the neighboring benoir, and sat down for a long time, rustling her thick silk dress.
Natasha involuntarily peered into this neck, shoulders, pearls, hairstyle and admired the beauty of the shoulders and pearls. While Natasha was already peering at her for the second time, the lady looked around and, meeting her eyes with Count Ilya Andreich, nodded her head and smiled at him. It was Countess Bezukhova, Pierre's wife. Ilya Andreich, who knew everyone in the world, leaned over and spoke to her.
“Long time ago, Countess?” he spoke. - I'll come, I'll come, I'll kiss your hand. But I came here on business and brought my girls with me. They say Semyonova plays incomparably,” said Ilya Andreevich. - Count Pyotr Kirillovich never forgot us. He is here?
“Yes, he wanted to come in,” Helen said and looked at Natasha carefully.
Count Ilya Andreich again sat down in his place.
- Is it good? he whispered to Natasha.

Egypt is a country that is still covered with a mass of mysteries that attract tourists from all over the world. Perhaps one of the most important secrets of this state is the great Sphinx, whose statue is located in the Giza Valley. This is one of the most grandiose sculptures ever created by human hands. Its dimensions are truly impressive - the length is 72 meters, the height is approximately 20 meters, the face of the Sphinx itself is 5 meters long, and the fallen off nose, according to calculations, was the size of an average human height. Not a single photo is able to convey the grandeur of this stunning monument of antiquity.

Today, the great Sphinx in Giza no longer instills sacred horror in a person - after excavations it turned out that the statue is just “sitting” in a pit. However, for many centuries, her head, sticking out of the desert sand, inspired superstitious fear in the desert Bedouins and local residents.

general information

The Egyptian Sphinx is located on the west coast of the Nile River, and its head is facing the sunrise. For many thousands of years, the gaze of this silent witness to the history of the country of the Pharaohs has been directed to that point on the horizon where, on the days of the autumn and spring equinoxes, the sun begins its unhurried course.

The Sphinx itself is made of monolithic limestone, which is a fragment of the base of the Giza plateau. The statue is a huge mysterious creature with the body of a lion and the head of a man. Many have probably seen this grandiose building in the photo in books and textbooks on the history of the Ancient World.

Cultural and historical significance of the building

According to historians, in almost all ancient civilizations, the lion was the personification of the sun and the solar deity. In the drawings of the ancient Egyptians, the pharaoh was very often depicted as a lion, attacking the enemies of the state and exterminating them. It was on the basis of these beliefs that a version was built that the great Sphinx is a kind of mystical guard guarding the peace of the rulers buried in the tombs of the Giza Valley.

It is still not known how the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt called the Sphinx. It is believed that the word "sphinx" itself is of Greek origin and literally translates as "strangler". In some Arabic texts, in particular, in the famous collection "A Thousand and One Nights", the Sphinx is called the "Father of Terror". There is another opinion, according to which the ancient Egyptians called the statue "the image of being." This once again confirms that the Sphinx was for them the earthly incarnation of one of the deities.

Story

Probably the most important mystery that the Egyptian Sphinx is fraught with is who, when and why erected such a grandiose monument. In the ancient papyri found by historians, you can find a lot of information about the construction and creators of the Great Pyramids and numerous temple complexes, but there is no mention of the Sphinx, its creator and the cost of its construction (and the ancient Egyptians were always very attentive to the costs of this or that business) not in any source. It was first mentioned in his writings by the historian Pliny the Elder, but that was already at the beginning of our era. He notes that the Sphinx, located in Egypt, was reconstructed and cleared of sand several times. It is precisely the fact that not a single source has yet been found explaining the origin of this monument that gave rise to countless versions, opinions and conjectures as to who and why built it.

The Great Sphinx fits perfectly into the complex of structures located on the Giza plateau. The creation of this complex dates back to the reign of the IV dynasty of kings. Actually, he himself includes the Great Pyramids and the statue of the Sphinx.

It is still impossible to say exactly how old this monument is. According to the official version, the Great Sphinx at Giza was erected during the reign of Pharaoh Khafre, around 2500 BC. In support of this hypothesis, historians point to the similarity of the limestone blocks used in the construction of the Khafre pyramid and the Sphinx, as well as the image of the ruler himself, which was found near the building.

There is another, alternative version of the origin of the Sphinx, according to which its construction dates back to even more ancient times. A group of Egyptologists from Germany, who analyzed limestone erosion, came to the conclusion that the monument was built around 7000 BC. There are also astronomical theories of the creation of the Sphinx, according to which its construction is associated with the constellation Orion and corresponds to 10,500 BC.

Restorations and the current state of the monument

The Great Sphinx, although it has survived to our times, is now badly damaged - neither time nor people spared it. The face was especially affected - in numerous photos you can see that it is almost completely erased, and it is not possible to distinguish its features. Urey - a symbol of royal power, which is a cobra that wraps around its head - is irretrievably lost. Plath - a solemn headdress descending from the head onto the shoulders of the statue - is also partially destroyed. The beard also suffered, which is now not fully represented. But where and under what circumstances the nose of the Sphinx disappeared, scientists still argue.

Damage on the face of the Great Sphinx, located in Egypt, is very reminiscent of chisel marks. According to Egyptologists, in the 14th century it was mutilated by a pious sheikh who carried out the precepts of the Prophet Muhammad, which forbade the depiction of a human face on works of art. And the head of the structure was used by the Mamelukes as a cannon target.

Today, in the photo, video and live, you can see how much the Great Sphinx has suffered from time and the cruelty of people. A small piece weighing 350 kg even broke off from it - this gives one more reason to marvel at the truly gigantic size of this structure.

Although only 700 years ago, the face of a mysterious statue was described by an Arab traveler. His travel notes said that this face was truly beautiful, and his lips bore the majestic seal of the pharaohs.

For all the years of its existence, the Great Sphinx has repeatedly plunged up to its shoulders into the sands of the Sahara desert. The first attempts to excavate the monument were made in ancient times by pharaohs Thutmose IV and Ramses II. Under Thutmose, the Great Sphinx was not only completely dug out of the sand, but a huge arrow made of granite was also installed in its paws. An inscription was carved on it, stating that the ruler gives his body under the protection of the Sphinx so that it rests under the sands of the Giza valley and at some point rises in the guise of a new pharaoh.

During the time of Ramses II, the Great Sphinx of Giza was not only dug out of the sand, but also underwent a thorough restoration. In particular, the massive rear part of the statue was replaced with blocks, although earlier the entire monument was monolithic. AT early XIX centuries, archaeologists completely cleared the chest of the statue of sand, but it was completely freed from sand only in 1925. It was then that the true dimensions of this grandiose structure became known.

The Great Sphinx as an object of tourism

The Great Sphinx, like the Great Pyramids, is located on the Giza plateau, which is 20 km from the capital of Egypt. This is a single complex of historical monuments of Ancient Egypt, which has come down to our days since the reign of the pharaohs from the IV dynasty. It consists of three large pyramids - Cheops, Khafre and Mykerin, small pyramids of queens are also included here. Here, tourists can visit various temple buildings. The statue of the Sphinx is located in the eastern part of this ancient complex.

Sphinxes do not walk by themselves. It can even be assumed that these unique animals do not classify themselves as cats, because they do not react to their counterparts of other breeds. About the history of the origin of the Sphynx breed, as well as the features of the appearance and nature of their subspecies.

Origin

Sphinxes are the discovery of the 20th century, although there are suggestions that even the Aztecs had hairless cats, but they died out. Over the past 100 years, hairless cat breeds have been constantly appearing and disappearing. They tried to treat naked kittens born for lichen.

And then one day in Canada, in the 60s, from domestic cat a naked kitten was born, which was bought by a scientist from Toronto, wanting to study the hairless gene. The information obtained by him was successfully used in breeding naked cats, but the Sphynx breed did not immediately receive recognition and permission to participate in exhibitions.

In the 70s, breeders again started breeding sphinxes. They crossed cats born naked with cats of the Siamese breed, Devon Rex and ordinary mongrels. Finally, in 1985, sphinxes were recognized as a separate breed.

Over time, hairless cats have become very popular. In 1997, they even served as models for the cover of the new album of the rock band Aerosmith, and the Sphynx cat starred in the movie Austin Powers.

Appearance

The appearance of sphinxes is truly amazing and unusual so much that some people do not mistake them for cats. These are not hairless cats, as some might call them. The hair on the body of sphinxes is still present, but it is very short and feels like suede to the touch.

Sphynx is a very warm and soft cat. More abundant hair, but still short, may be present on the legs, ears, tail and scrotum.

Why sphinxes are born hairless remains a mystery. There is an assumption that the absence of wool is caused by single natural mutations, which breeders supported by crossing hairless cats with short-haired ones. Over time, the mutation was fixed.

Although sphinxes are deprived of a soft cat coat, their body color is very diverse: there are both spotted and plain sphinxes of different shades.

In addition to the lack of fluffy fur coats, alien cats are also distinguished by large expressive ears and rather plentiful skin folding. The main number of folds falls on the head, and no other cat has such folded skin.

The name "Sphinx" is a combination for three breeds of hairless cats: Canadian, Don and Peterbald, or St. Petersburg Sphynx. The Canadian Sphynx is the oldest of them. Each breed has its own characteristics.

canadian sphynx

This is the most hairless of all hairless: if the Don and St. Petersburg sphinxes may have a short velvety coat, then the Canadian one does not. His skin feels like peach skin to the touch, despite the many wrinkles.

The Canadian Sphynx is of medium size and weight, with large ears. The hind legs are slightly longer than the front. The eyes are large and wide open.

He has a sweet personality, is smart and has a deep penetrating gaze. Strongly attached to his master, whom he defines himself. In the house becomes a full-fledged member of the family.

The Canadian Sphynx has a stable psyche, he is not afraid of dogs and calmly gets along with other animals.

Donskoy sphinx

It was bred in Russia in Rostov-on-Don, which is why the breed got its name. Donchaks are the largest and most powerful among sphinxes, they have strong bones and short legs. The ears stick straight up. The eyes are narrow, almond-shaped.

The whiskers of the Don Sphynx are curly or completely absent. Thick, delicate hair may grow on the tip of the tail. In winter, slight pubescence of the whole body is possible.

His features are taciturnity and resentment, but not vindictiveness. The owner must be tactful and attentive with the Don Sphynx, for which the cat will pay back with loyalty. Avoids too noisy and annoying children.

Peretbold

Appeared the latest of the three breeds of sphinxes based on the Don Sphynx. In Europe, the St. Petersburg Sphynx was recognized as a separate breed only in 2003.

It is distinguished by elegance and a light, flexible, narrow physique, it has a long tail, paws and fingers. Ears look to the side. Eye color is limited - green or blue. Any coat color is found. The head resembles the head of a snake and is set on a long neck.

He likes to “talk”, communication with people is the most important part of the life of a Peterbald. He really needs affection, gentle touches and words. In the family, he loves everyone equally, and is patient even with very active children.