The Egyptian Sphinx is one of the largest and oldest 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 a symbol of this country. However, although the Sphinx is the most famous monument in the world, it is also the most mysterious.
Today it is not known for certain who built it and when. Opinions of scientists on this subject are divided. The fact that the Sphinx is without a nose is also unknown. At the same time, it is not clear to the end what caused the face of this statue. In this article, we will try to understand why the Sphinx does not have a nose, and briefly consider all 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 able to build a huge structure in the era when there were not even steel tools.
Today, Egyptologists do not have a consensus on the construction of this monument. According to the theory of some scientists, Pharaoh Hafra is considered the customer of the Great Sphinx in Giza. This version is also supported by the location of the tomb of the ruler. It is located almost flush with the Sphinx. According to theory, the statue was erected in order to protect the entrance to the tomb of Hafra. At the same time, the participation of this pharaoh in the construction is also confirmed by some facts from ancient scrolls. It is noteworthy that the Sphinx is composed of blocks of the same size as the Hafra pyramid.
However, there is another version. According to this theory, the Sphinx was buried for a long time under the sands. And the information received from the ancient stele indicates that the father of Hafra, Pharaoh Cheops, ordered to clear this monument. However, a number of Egyptologists reject this version, casting doubt on the reliability of the information received from the stele.
Another mystery is the age of construction. If the Sphinx was built by Hafra, 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 the face was added to her much later, by order of one of the pharaohs. Proponents of this version suggest that the present age of the statue is more than 15 thousand years.
No less secret is why the Sphinx does not have a nose. There are three most popular theories.
Why the Sphinx does not have a nose. Version one - Napoleon Bonaparte
According 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 during the battle of the French troops with the Turks in 1798. The second theory in this regard suggests that the nose was specially repulsed. He was broken off by French scientists who arrived in Egypt with the army. After the nose was broken off, it was sent for study to the Louvre. There is a third theory according to which Napoleon ordered the Sphinx to break his nose in order to leave a mark on the history of Egypt.
However, after the drawings made by 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. In these images, the statue has no nose.
Version Two - Muhammad Saim Al-Dah
There is another version of why the Sphinx does not have a nose. It is built on the beliefs of local residents. Locals believed that the spill of the Nile River depends 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 its paws in the hope that it would provide them with a rich harvest. And in 1378, the Sufi fanatic Mohammed al-Dah saw this ritual. He was outraged by the "idolatry" of the locals, and in a rage he beat his nose off 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 was able to inflict such damage on a huge statue.
Version Three - Natural Factors
The latest version of why the Sphinx does not have a 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 likely.