Who is depicted on the Sphinx of Egypt? How did your nose break?

ILLUSTRATES Alexandre Jubran

It is still not known with certainty who was the reference for the famous monument in Giza, Egypt. The most accepted hypothesis is that it represents the god Ruti, guardian of the underworld. But the inspiration for the face (1)it would have been Khafre who ordered its construction. Until recently, the body of the creature was unknown – it was only unearthed in 1930, by the Egyptian archaeologist Selim Hassan (1887-1961).

An archaeological dig near the statue in the early 19th century found a beard and a headpiece in the shape of a cobra (2), which probably adorned his head. Traces of red pigment on the face and yellow and blue on the body indicate that it was quite colorful when it was finished.

Unlike the pyramids, formed by blocks, the Sphinx was carved in a limestone rock (3). Equipped with copper and stone hammers, it is estimated that the workers took three years to complete the work. The stones used in the Temple of the Sphinx, close by, were taken from the same place.

sphinx2

PLASTIC SURGERY

Two theories try to explain the destruction of the nose

Historian Al-Maqrizi reports that the monument was detonated in 1378 by a Muslim fanatic. The act would be a reprisal against local peasants, who made offerings to the Sphinx, defying the monotheistic precepts of Islam.

Another theory says that, in 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte would have ordered a cannon shot against the work, for not accepting the representation of a black person as emperor. But 1757 drawings by explorer Frederic Louis Norden already showed the Sphinx without the nappa

READ MORE

What are the main Egyptian gods?

Did the plagues of Egypt really exist?

What was the life of a pharaoh like?

What was the death of a pharaoh like?

SOURCES BooksHistory: The Definitive Visual Guideseveral authors,How It Works: Book of Incredible Historyseveral authors,The Great Wonders of the World, by Russell Ash and Richard Bonson; and websitesPBS New,Smithsonian Magazine,BBC History,iO9,LiveScience,discovery,NBC News,National Geographic,Harvard Gazette,archeology.org,Derby Telegraph,brooklyn museum,British,Huffington Post,The Telegraph,ScienceDaily,Archeology MagazineIt isHistory Channel