We all know about the unique Egyptian pyramids and the Sphinx sculpture. But very few people realize that perhaps once upon a time the Sphinx looked somewhat different. On his head, which now has a slightly flattened shape, once stood a "hat". It is with this hypothesis that archaeologists now explain the existence of a strange hatch right in the center of the head of the sculpture.
If you look at the Sphinx from above, the hole in the head implies a “thorn-groove” system. It was on it that the "hat" was screwed into the hatch.
Once upon a time the hat fell off the lion's head and shattered, but the hatch remained. It was walled up by the Egyptians so that the water accumulating in the hole did not break the sculpture to the end. Until now, this gray spot is visible on the Sphinx - it is very different in color from the object's body.
There is a theory that scientists tried to get through this hatch into the sculpture. The head is the most suitable place to enter. Maybe there is something more interesting hiding behind the cork? The researchers have some indirect evidence for this version. Engravings and illustrations left over from ancient times depict groups of scientists climbing into the Sphinx sculpture right from their heads. It turns out that the cork is hiding some mysterious passage today.
In the late 70s of the last century, a group of American and Egyptian researchers began to restore the badly damaged Sphinx. Then some unexpected news leaked into the world.
In 1979, the restoration of the Sphinx's head was underway, as there was a possibility that it would simply fall off the body. Prior to this, the Egyptians have repeatedly tried to restore the sculpture, but their technologies only spoiled the state of the historical object.
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One of the group members turned out to be a researcher who, as a child, was present at the excavation of the Sphinx from the sand (1926). He talked about the fact that in the neck of the artifact there is one small window through which you can go inside the object. The reaction of amazed archaeologists was not long in coming - equipped with the necessary tools, a group of researchers went through the hole into the statue. Inside there was a very narrow passage 9 meters long. Several branches went from him - up and into the paws. The maze is not very beautiful - it was probably used by workers to simplify construction from the inside. Scientists even found some semblance of a ladder that made it easier for the ancient Egyptians to enter the sculpture.
Now the continuation of the story is not known - all research on historical sites is prohibited by the Egyptian government. Whether the Sphinx has ever been entered is also unclear, but the hole can still be seen on the neck of the statue.