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Sphinx – Giza, Egypt
The Sphinx is even more impressive in reality than it appears in pictures. Unfortunately it is cordoned off and visitors are only allowed to view it from a distance and do not have access to the temple beneath. Still, we were totally overwhelmed by its enigmatic smiling face!
Sphinx – Giza, Egypt
The ancient Egyptians considered the Sphinx, the “Sacred Guide of the Celestial Barge“. A Barge or Barque is a ritual boat used to carry the resurrected king with the Sun God Ra, across the heavens to the afterlife. The Sphinx is believed to be the holder of the password that allows access to the Solar Barge to be able to continue on ones journey from Giza to the abode of Osiris!
Solar Barge – Giza, Egypt
In 1954, archaeologists found Khufu’s funerary Solar Barge in a chamber beneath his pyramid at Giza, undisturbed for centuries!
Boat pit beside the Great Pyramid – Giza, Egypt
The original Lebanese Cedar planks and Halfah grass ropes were still incredibly intact! The ropes were too weak to be used for the reconstruction though.
Original Halfah Grass rope!! – Giza, Egypt
It took years for the barge to be re-ssembled and it is now displayed in a modern airconditioned museum built right above the pit where it was found. The well designed boat shaped building does seem a bit incongruous in its setting against the Great Pyramid, but the air conditioned interior is a welcome respite from the sweltering heat of he desert sun.
Close up of the Solar Barge – Giza, Egypt
For all you doubting Thomases…….this is the real thing! The original, re-assembled from components from more than 5000 years ago! Disbelief slowly gives way to total amazement! We had goosebumps staring at the ancient planks of wood, that came from trees that were alive during the lifetime of the Pharoah! Do not miss this museum when you visit Giza.
Thank you for reliving my journey with me….and have a great day!
I didn’t know that Sphinx used to be believed as the holder of the password for accessing the Solar Barge. What an interesting fact!
Bama, as with any theories to do with the Giza complex, most are just conjecture for lack of any concrete evidence! But the ‘Book of Two Ways’ from the ‘Coffin Spells’ (inscriptions inside coffins presently in the British museum) the ‘Pyramid Texts’ and the ‘Book of the Dead’ apparently refer to the Sphinx as “The Great God who opens the Gates of Earth” as well as the “Sacred Guide….”. Not an Egyptologist, but it seemed a nice introduction to the Solar Barge
Thanks for dropping by
This is why I love mythology. There are so many interesting stories and I am often amazed by realizing how far-reaching people’s imagination has been and will always be.
True! And you can’t beat Egyptian mythology! It has an even more mindboggling array of Gods than the Hindu pantheon!
This post is really neat. Very informative and lovely photos! I have wanted to visit Egypt for quite some time now… Thanks for the info and photos!
Appreciate your feedback Adam!
Just checked out your blog and thought it was neat as well…great images!
5000 year ago! And, ropes were still incredibly intact. Great photos and stories!
Amazing isn’t it?
I don’t remember seeing this when I was there in ’84–what a shame, too! It looks absolutely amazing!