Diorite statue of the pharaoh. Khafre (Chephren) - the fourth ruler of Egypt

The ancient Egyptian civilization has attracted the attention of researchers for many years, causing numerous disputes. Keeping a lot of unsolved mysteries culture presents a lot of surprises.

The unique pyramids, built in the III millennium BC, surprise even modern professionals with unsurpassed craftsmanship and amazing processing of solid stone. No less mysterious are Egyptian statues carved from durable materials, which have survived to the present day.

The statue of Pharaoh Khafre from the funeral temple in Giza was always of interest to scientists. The mystery is that local craftsmen did not have any tools that would allow them to process the strongest rock. As archaeologists say, stunning historical monuments of Ancient Egypt are made with the help of technologies that are several times more modern.

Funerary complex

Tourists from all over the world come to the plateau of Giza, which is a huge city, storing the funerary structures of Egyptian pharaohs and queens. This is a complex interesting enough for all travelers, allowing you to approach the secrets of the pyramids and touch a bygone civilization. Working on its territory, researchers explain that the Giza plateau is not only an archaeological monument, but also a religious one.

In addition to all the famous pyramid of Cheops, here is the tomb of Pharaoh Khafre, or Khafra, slightly inferior in size to the most famous structure. This is a whole ritual complex, built by the order of the ruler of Egypt, and many tourists consider it one of the most beautiful.

Some historical facts about the afterlife

In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh was incredibly revered, comparing it to God. The rulers with enormous power were educated people who participated in all the most important affairs of the country. Representations of local residents about the afterlife had a great influence on the development and construction of the pyramids, which are actually tombs.

Attributing great importance to the cult of death, the Pharaohs erected their tombs in advance. The Egyptians believed that the afterlife was a continuation of existence on earth, and the main condition for the transition to the other world was the mandatory preservation of the human body.

The right to immortality

It is no accident that the Egyptians so carefully embalmed the bodies of the deceased and supplied the deceased with everything necessary, filling the tomb with various items that might be needed. According to the initial beliefs, only the pharaohs led the afterlife, but later the Egyptian rulers were given the opportunity to endow their loved ones with immortality and know.

The end of the Old Kingdom was marked by the recognition of the right of every person to the afterlife.

Governor of Egypt Chephren

Pharaoh Khafre, whose statue is of incredible interest, was the ruler of the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Too few monuments of that time have come down to us, so many facts of his biography are not reliable, and even years of life cause misunderstandings. Egyptologists believe that Khafre ruled the state for about 25 years.

Nowadays, Khafre is known primarily for the construction of the second largest pyramid on the Giza plateau. The appearance of the pharaoh, who is the son of the famous Cheops (Khufu) and took power into his hands after his father and brother Jedefra, was restored to the well-preserved statues of the tomb.

Sacred Plateau

The plateau was originally considered sacred, and therefore on it were built funerary complexes. Pharaoh Khafra, in advance thinking about the transition to the next world, ordered to erect a pyramid next to the tomb of Cheops.

Initially, the height of the pyramid was 144 meters, but over time it decreased slightly, which did not affect its good condition. Limestone has become the main building material for it, and the foundation is lined with pink granite.

The pyramid, which became canonical

Pharaoh Khafra wished that his tomb would exceed the size of his father's pyramid, but during the construction it became clear that the construction of a huge complex is impossible for various reasons.

It is believed that the design of the pyramid and its layout with an inner courtyard, a gallery and a special niche for the ritual vessels in the tomb became canonical. By a peculiar standard began to be built all the rest of the funerary complexes.

What included the funeral complex?

Initially, next to the pyramid of Khafre was a funerary structure of smaller dimensions, from which today there is nothing left. Most likely, the wife of the pharaoh was buried there.

The funeral temple, erected from huge granite blocks, surprised with its power: the length of the blocks was 5 meters, and the weight of each of them reached forty tons. Until the 18th century it was in a satisfactory condition until local residents destroyed the walls of the building. Inside were numerous sculptures of the pharaoh.

The complex included a protective wall between the structures, the road and the lower temple, in which a diorite statue of the pharaoh was discovered. Khafra, who dreamed of a majestic design, thought about the compactness of the cult structure. Working in a funeral complex, archaeologists have established that, with its huge area of free space, not so much - less than 0.01 percent.

What is inside the pyramid?

The internal design of the pyramid consisted of two chambers and entrances. There is a small diversion to the premises, which remains unfinished, and its purpose is unknown. In the burial chamber, hewn inside the rock, an empty granite sarcophagus with a broken lid is resting.

On the dug tunnel, the robbers made their way inside, and all that remains to the archaeologists is a few dropped pearls and a cork of a ritual vessel, on which the name of the vicar of God is carved. There are no more rooms inside the pyramid.

Gradually, a necropolis grew around her, in which the bodies of all the members of the Khafre family rested.

The Tomb of the Priest and His Relatives

Six years ago, archaeologists discovered near the burials of the tomb of the priests of the pharaoh, who at the time of his reign was in charge of the funeral cult. He was able to give immortality to all his relatives, and this building was evidence that ordinary Egyptians were given the right to lead an afterlife.

Numerous statues of the pharaoh

On the sacred plateau, many Egyptian rulers and their relatives were buried, but from some there was not a single artifact left. But on the numerous sculptures found by archaeologists, the representative of God Khafre appeared. The Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt was depicted with an overhead beard and a handkerchief on his head, and not one of his statues was like the other. Researchers believe that in those days it was forbidden to make the same figures.

Sculptures, originally resting in the pits in one of the halls of the pyramid, were later thrown out of them, and their fragments were found by the research group in 1860. Unfortunately, some sculptures lost their heads and torso.

Known is a well-preserved alabaster statue of the pharaoh Khafre, stored in the Cairo Museum. Among the exhibits of the private collector is the head of the pharaoh with a white crown. Leipzig University boasts images of the ruler in festive robes, whose eyelids are decorated with copper plates.

The most famous statue of diorite

But the famous for the whole world was a diorite statue of a pharaoh made in full growth, dark, with light veins. Khafre, who ruled ancient Egypt, sits proudly on his throne, below which emblems of the lotus flower and papyrus are seen. The face of the king is serene and does not express any alarm.

The physically developed governor of God on Earth, dressed in a short loincloth, embodies the perfect pacification, and his gaze seems to be directed to eternity.

The statue of Pharaoh Khafre from the temple in Giza

Behind the head covered with a ritual shawl is a falcon, hugging and protecting the great pharaoh with outstretched wings. So they portrayed the symbol of the god Horus - the main heavenly power that kept all the kings of Egypt and their land. One hand of Khafra lies relaxed on her knee, and the other is firmly compressed. At the bottom of the throne, next to the ruler's bare feet, his names are knocked out.

The polished statue of Pharaoh Khafre, the description of which causes numerous disputes among scientists, keeps unsolved secrets to this day. It is believed that such a realistic image is subordinated to the traditions of the ancient canons: for the soul of the deceased to enter the statue, it was necessary for her to recognize the statue. And only then did the spirit of the ruler fulfill the requests and accept all sacrifices.

World masterpiece

We can say that the diorite statue of the pharaoh became a real world masterpiece and an outstanding historical monument. Khafra (the photo of the statue is presented in the article) is depicted as an indifferent ruler, which is outside of human passions. It seems that the soul of the master of destiny hovers somewhere high, not paying attention to the world's sea.

Who is the unknown sculptor, masterfully treated the strongest rock and beautifully transmitted the smallest features of the face, is unknown until now. And was it a human being?

The statue of the pharaoh Khafre, found in 1860 in Giza, is one of the most valuable exhibits of the Cairo Museum. This is a vivid example of the highest level of development of ancient Egyptian culture and art.

Secrets of the sculpture of Chephren and the Sphinx

The great interest of not only the usual lovers of ancient history, but also the researchers of the whole world is a statue of the pharaoh. Khafra, considered among the Egyptians as a revered deity, ordered to carve his face on another grandiose statue, finally excavated under a thousand-year layer of sand in the 20th century.

It's about the most mysterious and monumental sculpture, exciting minds of scientists, creative people and all travelers. An outstanding sculpture carved out of limestone breeds causes a lot of controversy. The greatest miracle of Egypt is considered as a single composition with the funeral complex of Khafre, and the face of the Sphinx resembles that of a pharaoh

The guard of the pyramids

Carved from the rock guard of the pyramid, located at its foot, according to the versions of scientists, was built during the rule of Khafra. The Egyptians portrayed him as a lion looking at the East, and the third eye he watched the sunrise and sunset of the stars.

The royal symbol, according to legend, is always awake, so that the established course of the sun is not violated. The ancient Egyptians believed that the depicted wild cats can see well at night, without closing their eyes for a second. The Sphinxes were erected in front of the pyramids, trying to protect the remains of their divine ruler from the attacks of robbers.

The statue that duplicates the face of the pharaoh does not have a nose, which caused a lot of theories as to how this could happen. Some scholars are inclined to believe that it was repulsed by a cannonball during Napoleon's war with the Turks, but many believe that this part of the face was no longer several centuries before the event.

Mysteries, Exciting Scientists

There is not a single preserved ancient document of those times in which a huge statue twenty meters high and more than fifty-five long was mentioned. Some researchers are sure that the Sphinx with the face of a lion was built by a certain civilization long before the ancient Egyptians, and the ruler of Khafra wished to leave a memory of himself and ordered to remake the image, cutting out his image in it.

To the version that the construction of the pyramid is closely connected with the alien intervention, many researchers are inclined, considering twenty years of construction of a unique monument too short a time for erecting such a monumental building.

And scientist R. Hogland, for a long time studying the pictures of the surface of Mars, found there pyramids and statues with symmetrical human faces reminiscent of Egyptian.

The energy coming from the statue

The statue of Pharaoh Khafre with the falcon Gore in the stone amazes contemporaries with special grandeur and the jeweler's precision of the expression of the face of a powerful king. There is a "living" energy emanating from the diorite statue.

Each person is deeply impressed with the carved statue of the pharaoh. Khafra, depicted as realistically as possible, does not pay any attention to the earthly world, fixing its proud look in the future.

Ancient Egyptian civilization is in no hurry to reveal all its secrets. Scientists involved in the study of pyramids, warn that new discoveries will certainly be a real shock to humanity. And we can only wait ...