The Sphinx Of Giza: Origins And Characteristics Of This Egyptian Monument
It is not the only sphinx that the Egyptian civilization has left us, but it is the most spectacular. The Sphinx of Giza stands majestically 450 meters from the Great Pyramid ; Her eyes are directed east, aligned with astonishing precision to the east-west axis of the temple in front of her and which, during the equinoxes, point toward the setting sun.
From the ground to the tip of its head it measures 20 meters, and from its front legs to the beginning of its tail (which it keeps folded to one side) it has a length of 70.5 meters. A colossal titan that seems to keep the eternal dream of the pyramids that rise next to it.
But, despite its indisputable beauty, the Sphinx of Giza still raises many questions. When was it built, and by whom? Whose is the mysterious face covered by the nemes real? Why was his body kept buried in the desert sands since ancient times? What does it mean? Join us to discover the secrets of this enigmatic Egyptian construction.
Traditionally, experts have dated the construction of the Sphinx of Giza during the IV Dynasty, around the year 2,500 BC. However, other research points to very different results, since They consider the possibility that the sphinx was erected no less than 10,500 years ago
If this were true, we would be faced with two possibilities: either the Egyptian civilization is much older than is believed, or the sphinx is the product of a previous civilization. In fact, during the 20th century, pseudoscientific theories began to proliferate that claimed that it had been built by none other than the Atlanteans, the mythical lost civilization spoken of in ancient texts.
The belief, which has no scientific basis, resonated deeply with some “experts”; among them, Edgar Cayce (1877-1945), a supposed American visionary and medium who defended the Atlantean theory back in the 1930s. In his final years, Cayce assured that before the millennium ended the room with the “secret archives” of the Atlanteans, just below the Sphinx of Giza. And, oddly enough, some explorers and adventurers believed in his theory. Rondha James (pseudonym of Marjorie Hansen) and her sister embarked on an enthusiastic journey to Giza to find that secret archive once and for all. As expected, they found nothing.
However, there was some reality in all these theories. And it is that There was evidence that the body of the sphinx had been eroded by water, which connected with the hypothesis that it had been built before the year 10,000 BC. It is known that, just at that time, Egypt suffered a series of floods, which constitutes one of the very few explanations for such erosion, since in Egypt it barely rains. This is at least the theory supported by the German Egyptologist Schwaller de Lubicz (1887-1961), who was excavating in the area between 1937 and 1952.
But the hypothesis of the sphinx’s remote antiquity has been questioned by numerous specialists. In fact, the erosion of the sphinx could simply be motivated by rain, since, although rainfall in Egypt is scarce, it does occur sporadically in a torrential manner.
The sphinx does not only show signs of erosion by water. The limestone used for its construction has different qualities depending on the level ; For example, the rock of the sphinx’s body is weaker than the head, built with a much harder and more resistant stone. However, both one and the other show obvious signs of deterioration due to the winds and the constant friction of the desert sand, which indicates that, despite having remained half-buried for millennia (already in the time of Herodotus, the Greek traveler , only his head protruded from the sand) the porosity of the limestone used did not contribute to its conservation.
Sphinxes are not at all unusual in ancient Egyptian culture Throughout the land of the Nile we found many of these creatures, as they had a protective function that was highly valued by the Egyptians. The first known one dates back to the 3rd millennium BC and also corresponds to the 4th dynasty. It was found in Abu Rawash, the funerary complex of Pharaoh Dyedefre, the successor of Khufu. However, it is in the Middle Kingdom when a greater profusion of sphinxes begins to be found throughout Egypt, always acting as guardians and protectors, which differentiates them from the sphinxes of Greek culture, considered bearers of bad omens.
Another difference between Greek and Egyptian sphinxes is that, while the former are usually upright and have the bust of a woman, the Egyptian sphinxes are lying down and have the body of a lion and the head of a man. Giza is no exception; By the way, the gigantic leonine shapes of his body are much larger, in proportion, than his head, considered by many as “too small.”
The identity of the enigmatic face is a source of discussion among specialists There are two theories about it; the first, that it could be representing Pharaoh Khafre, a hypothesis that seems to be demonstrated by the proximity of this Pharaoh’s temple. The second was launched by the German Egyptologist Rainer Stadelman (1933-2019), and he argued that his face would be a representation of Cheops, a pharaoh before Khafre.
According to this specialist, the deviation that can be observed in the road leading to the pyramid of Khafre would have been a necessary constructive turn to avoid the sphinx, which would have already been built in the time of this pharaoh. Cheops would have had the image raised of him as a guardian lion, a resource widely used in ancient Egypt, where the pharaoh was entrusted with the role of guide and protector of his people.
Covering the pharaoh’s face we can see the nemes, the royal headdress worn by the rulers of Egypt. It is known that the sphinx was polychrome because traces of blue and yellow paint have been found on it, as well as traces of red pigment on the face and body. About him nemes rises ureusthe cobra that symbolized the cobra-goddess Wadjet, the protector of Lower Egypt and the pharaoh.
But if something stands out about the sphinx’s face, it is the absence of a nose. Many rivers of ink have flowed about this; Until not long ago, the legend persisted that it was the cannons of the Napoleonic troops that made the appendix explode during the Egyptian campaign of 1799 (where, by the way, the famous Rosetta stone was discovered).
The story of Napoleon and his soldiers blowing off the sphinx’s nose is just a myth, but today historians still have doubts about what happened. One of the most accepted theories is the one that places the mutilation in the 14th century, during Arab domination. It seems that the local peasants gave offerings to the sphinx, subjugated by its majesty. Muhammad Sa’im al-Dahr, a Sufi traveler, interpreted the act as blatant idolatry and, filled with anger, destroyed the nose. At least, that is what the Arab historian Al-Magrizi recorded in the 15th century.
The Sphinx of Giza remains a mystery, as much or more than it was to its contemporaries. The ancient Egyptians called it shesep-anj, “living image.” Later, the Arab settlers knew her as Abu-el-Hol, “Father of Terror.” And, whether admiration or respect, the Sphinx of Giza never leaves indifferent the traveler who wants to get to know it.
