In Egypt, archaeologists decided to prove that the famous Great Sphinx at Giza was not built randomly, but in a strict orientation with the trajectory of the Sun. The team, led by Dr. Zahi Hawass, took pictures during the vernal equinox, proving, in her opinion, this theory.
A short release on this small but important study was published by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. By the way, the famous Egyptologist Zaha Hawass headed this department for some time.
The Great Sphinx, located on the western bank of the Nile at Giza, faces the rising sun. Nevertheless, the generally accepted theory is that in ancient times a certain architect accidentally stumbled upon a huge limestone rock and carved out of it an image of a zoomorphic creature - a lion with a human face lying on the sand, in whose features some people recognize the Pharaoh Khafre.
Hawass and his team set up the camera to the east with the lens facing the Sphinx. The shooting was carried out on the days of the vernal equinox, that is, when the night is equal to the day - March 21 and 22. A similar astronomical phenomenon is also observed in the fall, September 21 and 22.
The camera recorded the Sun setting directly over the right shoulder of the Sphinx, fitting into a kind of regular geometric recess. Hawass considers this notch to be an important astronomical and religious landmark. In his opinion, there is another astronomical phenomenon that proves even more clearly that the Sphinx was not carved by chance.
It can be observed on June 21-22, when the Sun sets in a straight line strictly between the pyramids of Cheops and Khafre. This is a phenomenon known as the solstice. By the way, in 2018, a study by engineer Glen Dash was published in the Journal of Ancient Egyptian Architecture, who argued that the alignment of the Sun between the pyramids on the solstice days is almost perfect.
In this case, Zahi Hawass stated that the "phenomenon" recorded by the camera is proof of the fallacy of the theory of the accidental construction of the Sphinx. In his opinion, the sunset between the pyramids of Cheops and Khafren had a sacred meaning, especially when you consider that in Ancient Egypt there was a cult of Ra - the sun god.
This indicates that the ancient Egyptians may indeed have had a religious reason for making the Sphinx, and this suggests an astronomical connection between the Sun and this monument.
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The Sphinx at Giza is believed to have been built about 4,500 years ago. It is believed that it was built for Pharaoh Khafre, who was the son of Pharaoh Cheops. Dr. Hawass added that the theory that there was an astronomical connection between the Sphinx and the Sun supports the hypothesis of the enormous scientific superiority of the ancient Egyptians over other peoples of that time period.
Author: Denis Peredelsky
