The Egyptian Sphinx is one of the largest and most ancient monuments on Earth. The height of this colossus reaches 20 meters, and the length is seventy. This giant statue is located at the great pyramids of Egypt. She is the symbol of this country. However, although the Sphinx is the most famous monument in the world, it is also the most mysterious.
To date, it is not known for certain who and when built it. The opinions of scientists on this matter are divided. It is also unknown why the Sphinx is without a nose. At the same time, it is not completely clear what caused the distortion of the face of this statue. In this article, we will try to understand why the Sphinx does not have a nose, and briefly review all the versions of scientists.
The history of the statue
The majestic monument survived to the modern era with some losses, but even against the backdrop of modern buildings, it is truly impressive. First of all, it is striking that to create such a statue, even in the 21st century, one cannot do without sophisticated equipment and excellent skills. The ancient Egyptians were ablebuild a huge structure in an era when there were not even steel tools.
Today, Egyptologists do not have a common opinion regarding the construction of this monument. According to the theory of some scientists, Pharaoh Khafre is considered to be the customer of the Great Sphinx in Giza. This version is supported by the location of the ruler's tomb. It is located almost close to the Sphinx. According to the theory, the statue was erected in order to guard the entrance to the tomb of Khafre. At the same time, some facts from ancient scrolls confirm the involvement of this pharaoh in the construction. It is noteworthy that the Sphinx is made up of blocks of the same size as Khafre's pyramid.
However, there is another version. According to this theory, the Sphinx was buried under the sands for a long time. And the information obtained from the ancient stele indicates that Khafra's father, Pharaoh Cheops, ordered this monument to be cleared. However, a number of Egyptologists reject this version, calling into question the reliability of the information received from the stele.
Another mystery is the age of the building. If the Sphinx was erected by Khafre, then the age of the monument is more than 4500 years. There is another version, according to which this statue originally depicted a lion. And her face was added much later, by order of one of the pharaohs. Supporters of this version suggest that the real age of the statue is more than 15 thousand years.
No less of a mystery is why the Sphinx has no nose. There are three most popular theories.
Why the Sphinx doesn't have a nose. Version one - Napoleon Bonaparte
PoAccording to contemporaries, the emperor of France respected the history of Egypt. However, in order to create his own image, he decided to leave a mark on the chronology of this ancient state. By his order, the names on the tombs of the pharaohs and other ancient structures were erased. According to one theory, Napoleon had a hand in distorting the face of the Sphinx.
At the same time, the version itself has several different options. According to the first, the nose of the monument was broken off as a result of a cannonball hit during the battle between the French troops and the Turks in 1798. The second theory in this regard suggests that the nose was beaten off on purpose. It was split off by French scientists who arrived in Egypt with the army. After the nose was chipped off, it was sent to the Louvre for study. There is a third theory, according to which Napoleon ordered to break the nose of the Sphinx in order to leave a mark on the history of Egypt.
However, after the drawings made by the Danish researcher Norden were published and studied, all these theories were dispelled. The fact is that this scientist painted the Sphinx back in 1737 - long before the birth of Napoleon. The statue is missing a nose in these images.
Version two - Mohammed Saim al-Dah
There is another version of why the Sphinx has no nose. It is based on the beliefs of the local people. The locals believed that the scale of the Nile flood depended on the Sphinx. In turn, the fertility of coastal fields depended on this natural phenomenon. For this, the Egyptians revered the Sphinx, and laid gifts at his paws in the hope thathe will provide them with a rich harvest. And in 1378, this ritual was seen by the Sufi fanatic Muhammad al-Dah. He was outraged by the "idolatry" of the locals, and in a rage, he beat off the nose of the Sphinx, for which he was torn to pieces by the crowd.
Although this version has the right to exist, experts believe that it is unlikely. The thing is that it is not clear how one person could inflict such damage on a huge statue.
Version three - natural factors
The latest version of why the Sphinx has no nose is the most plausible. She suggests that for several thousand years the Sphinx was exposed to the harmful effects of moisture and winds. And since it is made of soft limestone, such damage is quite likely.
