4 Unbelievable Mysteries Behind How the Great Sphinx of Egypt Lost Its Nose

The Great Sphinx of Egypt in the city of Giz is one of the biggest and oldest statues of Egypt. This is an extremely large statue made with limestone with a pharaoh's head and the body of a lion. Many people believe that the statue was built around 2500 BCE, which is approximately 4,500 years ago, during the time of Pharaoh Khafre.

This statue has attracted the attentions of many people, but one of the biggest reasons for the attraction of this statue is its lost nose. For centuries, researchers and historians are confused because of the mysterious disappearance of the nose of the great Sphinx.

So, in this article, we'll look at some theories which try to explain the mystery behind this mystery.

The Missing Nose of the great Sphinx

The most popular and discussed element of this beautiful statue is its nose. Thousands of years of winds, sandstorms, and erosions has passed through this statue but the mystery of the broken nose is still unsolved for the researchers and historians.

Different theories on the Disappearance of the Sphinx's Nose

Theory 1: Napoleon's Cannonball

The most discussed theory about the lost nose of the Sphinx is its lost to Napoleon Bonaparte's military campaign in Egypt during the late 18th century. It is said that Napoleon's soldiers used the Sphinx for target practice and a cannonball got stuck in its nose which cause the nose of the Sphinx to shatter.

However this theory lacks solid proofs and evidences, there are no records or proofs of the Napoleon's soldiers using the Sphinx for targeting purposes in history.

Furthermore, some of the drawings and sketches made by the European travelers many years before Napoleon's campaign noted the Sphinx without a nose. These sketches and drawings indicate that the nose of the great Sphinx was missing many years before the arrival of Napoleon.

Theory 2: Iconoclasm and Religious Vandalism

Another theory suggests that the great Sphinx lost its nose because of the iconoclasm. Iconoclasm is the intentional destruction of a religious image or symbols. It means that the nose of the great Sphinx was removed intentionally by some religious or political group. While some says the Sphinx was targeted by individuals or a group in order to deface it because it was a representation of a pharaoh.

As iconoclasm was a common practice back in the ancients times and cultures, the destruction of the nose of the Sphinx can be because of that. But there is no clear evidences that supports that the Sphinx lost its nose due to iconoclasm.

Moreover, the method by which the nose has been destroyed is typically by chiseling or hammering, which doesn't align with the destruction due to iconoclasm because they would aim to destroy the whole face and not only the nose.

Theory 3: Natural Erosion

One of the most realistic cause that can be explained deeply for the Sphinx's nose is natural erosion. Because The Giza Plateau, where the great Sphinx is located, is very open to harsh and extreme weather conditions like wind, sandstorms, and high temperature. These harsh environment conditions for the centuries may have cause the nose of the Sphinx to disappear due to natural erosion.

Some researchers says that the nose of the Sphinx was in a position which was very open to these extreme and harsh conditions which made it particularly vulnerable to erosion.

The nose of the Sphinx protrudes from the face which is more exposed to the elements than other facial features and made it easy for natural erosion.

Theory 4: Restoration Attempts

This theory suggests that the nose of the great Sphinx was removed intentionally or damaged during some restoration work. As we know that the Sphinx has been there for so many centuries, so it may have went through many restoration processes by different rulers and civilizations. And it is possible that during there restoration processes the great Sphinx lost it nose due to a restoration that has not been planned perfectly.

This theory supports those many restoration processes that have been done on the Sphinx before. But still lacks the evidence that it lost its nose in a restoration process. And the mystery of the Sphinx losing its nose due to restoration process remains unclear.

The mystery behind the missing nose of the great Sphinx may never be solved with solid proofs and evidences. It will continue to attract historians, archaeologists, and everyone' interests.

Although, theories like these will come and go with its own strengths and weaknesses, but the truth behind the disappearance of the Sphinx nose will remain a mystery.

The mysterious disappearance of the nose of the great Sphinx give popularity to this wonder and many people visits it to see the mystery behind this wonder.

Whether the nose of the great Sphinx is lost due to natural erosion, intentionally destroyed by someone or something else, but it always reminds us the ancient mysteries that our world have and attract millions of visitors each year to see these mysterious wonders.