This is perhaps the most popular souvenir from Egypt - the figure of the Great Sphinx from the Giza plateau. Few people know, but in fact the most ancient image of this mythical beast was found on the megaliths of Gebekli Tepe in Turkey, it is more than 12 thousand years old. How old is the great Egyptian Sphinx? Scientists still cannot find the answer to this question. What do we know about the Sphinx?
It is believed that this statue is the oldest in the world. It is carved out of a monolithic limestone rock. Its length is 72 meters, height is 20 meters, and between its forepaws there was once a small sanctuary. There is an assumption that the face of the beast is a portrait of the Pharaoh Khafre who ruled Egypt around 2575 BC. Surprisingly, even with the availability of modern types of diagnostics, we know very little about this monument. The Egyptian government restricts access to the artifact even for scientists, but why? What secrets does the ancient statue hide? What discoveries are the new rulers of the Nile afraid of?
An incredible discovery was made by Japanese scientists. A scan of the Sphinx statue revealed that there is a narrow tunnel under the stone statue's left paw. It starts at a depth of 2 meters and goes down, the purpose of this underground passage is still unknown.
It is with the discovered dungeon that the main secrets of the Sphinx can be connected. Egyptologists believe that under the paws of the "giant" in the secret galleries there is a huge library that contains sacred knowledge about the universe and the history of mankind. Moreover, some researchers are sure that the Sphinx is a portal that opens doors to parallel dimensions.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in order to discover hidden passages or cameras, metal rods were even inserted into the statue. However, then attempts to find the mysterious dungeon were unsuccessful. It is still difficult to judge how deep these tunnels are in reality. It is believed that the Egyptian authorities deliberately limit all scientific research on the Giza plateau, because they found in one of the dungeons the so-called rod of life - the rod of the God of wisdom Thoth.
This hypothesis also has opponents. Many scholars believe that the history of the Sphinx is highly mystified, as is its ancient origin. It is believed that in fact the statue was built during the time of Napoleon Bonaparte and all its mysteries are just a clever marketing ploy to attract more tourists.
However, a new study by scientists finally puts an end to the age of the statue. The Egyptian Sphinx is much older than not only Bonaparte, but also the civilization of Ancient Egypt. The material from which the lion-man is made is older than the blocks of the pyramids.
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It is reliably known that there were no reservoirs on the Giza plateau for more than 12 thousand years. The oldest of the pyramids of Egypt, the pyramid of Cheops is almost 3 times younger.
Based on these facts, Egyptologists put forward a bold version that the Sphinx was built before the Flood and most likely its face was not originally human. There is an assumption that it was originally the head of a dog. Who and why had to change the head of the statue? The answer to this question may be related to another mystery. Where was the Sphinx before?
Herodotus, who visited Egypt in 445 BC. He described in great detail everything that he saw on the Giza plateau in his history, but he never mentioned the Sphinx. This is possible for only one reason, because the giant lion was not really there.
Thutmose IV.
According to legend, the broken head of the sculpture was found between the paws. Thutmose IV ordered the restoration of the giant statue. If the legend does not lie, then it is quite possible that in memory of his greatness it was Thutmose IV who changed the face of the Sphinx and from the head of an animal it turned into the head of a pharaoh.
Nevertheless, many Egyptologists believe that the sculpture of the Sphinx was built by the ancient Egyptians and its purpose was of a religious nature. The Sphinx symbolized the movement of time, or rather the change of seasons. According to this theory, the body of a lion is the day of the vernal equinox, and the wings (which we do not see today) symbolized the autumn equinox; the paws of a demigod meant the summer solstice, and the face the winter solstice.