Free Republic

ISIS has announced that it is setting its sights on Egypt’s pyramids, the Sphinx of Giza, and the country's unique historic monuments in general, after its savage vandalism and looting of other precious world heritage sites. The Islamic State is rushing reinforcements to Egypt from Libya and Iraq for its battle with Egyptian forces in northern Sinai, which went into its fifth day Sunday, July 5, and other offensives, debkafile’s intelligence and counter-terror sources report. After sustaining hundreds of casualties, both sides claim to have won the upper hand but the tenacious struggle is not over. An Islamist manpower pool...

ISIS “caliph” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi told followers of his terror group that destroying Egypt’s national monuments, such as the pyramids and the sphinx, is a “religious duty” that must be carried out by those who worship Islam, as idolatry is strictly banned in the religion, according to reports.

ISIL is obliterating the Middle East's cultural landmarks. But should we arm ourselves in order to save threatened sites, asks Dan Cruickshank. ‘When Egypt comes under the auspices of the Khalifa [Caliphate], there will be no more Pyramids, no more Sphinx, no more idolatry.” This, I was told by British Muslim political activist Anjem Choudary, “will be just”. This chilling recent interview with Choudary in east London was part of a journey that started in early 2002. I went to Afghanistan in March of that year, just after the fall of the Taliban, to report for a television programme on...

An Islamist preacher from Kuwait called for the demolition of the Giza pyramids and Sphinx "to put an end to idolatry and the worship of such pagan constructions." "The fact that early Muslims did not destroy the pharaohs' legacy upon the Arab conquest of Egypt does not mean that we shouldn't do it now," preacher Ibrahim al-Kandari was quoted by the Kuwaiti Al-Watan daily newspaper Tuesday. The call echoes that of leader of Islamic State (IS) group Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who described the destruction of the historic monuments and archaeological sites as a "religious duty," Al-Ahram reported. The alleged call...

A Kuwaiti Islamic preacher has raised many eyebrows by echoing the calls made by extremist group Isis to destroy the ancient Egyptian Sphinx and pyramids — one of the seven wonders of the world that has captured the imaginations of people for centuries. The preacher recognised by an Egyptian newspaper as Ibrahim Al Kandari reportedly said that just because early Muslims did not dare destroy them, it did not mean all present-day Muslims must follow them. "The fact that early Muslims who were among Prophet Mohammed's followers did not destroy the pharaoh's monuments upon entering the Egyptian soil, does not mean...

At an ancient temple in southern Egypt, archaeologists have uncovered a figure that is reminiscent of a sphinx, as well as the remnants of a shrine. The Hathor Temple is one of the best preserved ancient locations in Egypt, and the recently unearthed artifacts are shedding fresh light on the extensive history of the surrounding area. Smiley Face and Two Dimples The limestone sphinx features a “smiley face and two dimples” and is believed to represent the Roman Emperor Claudius. It is significantly smaller than the famous Sphinx located in the Pyramids of Giza, which stands at a towering height...

A New geological study shows that the great sphinx of Giza is 800,000 Years old The Great Sphinx on the Giza plateau in Egypt is one of the most mysterious and enigmatic monuments on the planet’s surface. It is an ancient structure that has baffled investigators since its discovery, and no one has been able to accurately date the Sphinx because there are no written records or reports of it in the past. Now, two Ukrainian researchers have suggested a new controversial theory, claiming that the Great Sphinx of Egypt is about 800,000 years old. A scientifically based revolutionary theory....

The Sphinx had a "distinctive astronomical" moment with the sun during the spring equinox when, in a shining flourish, the sun set on the shoulder of the half-man, half-lion statue on March 19, according to the Egypt Ministry of Antiquities. This phenomenon happens only twice a year, during the spring in March and the fall equinox in September, according to the ministry. During the equinox, Earth's axis doesn't point toward or away from the sun, meaning that the Northern and Southern hemispheres receive equal amounts of the sun's light. In other words, the day and the night are equal in...

Here below is an aerial photograph of the great Sphinx. It is worth noting that aerial photography in the area is restricted. If you look at the top of the head you will note a round lighter coloured patch. It looks like it has been altered The image below show it a little more clearer. and the close up. Now if you go back in time and look at older ariel images you can clearly see that the top is open. Photo taken 15 Dec 1925 In 1914, Professor George A. Reisner of Harvard University excavated the hole on the...

The Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt, a massive structure carved from a single rock, has long fascinated visitors and experts alike. While many believed that the imposing statue, with its human head and lion's body, was created by humans during the ancient kingdom of Egypt around 2600 BC, its true origins remained shrouded in mystery. However, a recent study conducted by scientists from New York University, published in the journal Physical Review Fluids, provides insight into how this extraordinary statue was formed over 4,500 years ago. The multi-layered body: A puzzle Traditionally attributed to human craftsmanship, the exact process...

Everybody interested in finding the true history of the Giza pyramids and The Sphinx, will have no doubt heard the theory proposed by Geology professor, Robert Schoch and the late, great John Anthony West, that The Sphinx was originally a lion that was subject to water erosion. The theory states that this could only have happened between 5,000 and 10,500 BC, a time period that is far earlier than the orthodox date attributed to the construction of the Sphinx, which is 2558 to 2532 BC. Robert Temple, in his book The Sphinx Mystery, believes the Sphinx was carved as Anubis...

Over a month ago his left lung collapsed completely, and about a week ago his kidneys failed. His heart rate is now slowing down as well. Dad made it very clear to us from the beginning, upon receiving his diagnosis, that he did not want to live a life on life support. Although it's truly impossible to know for sure what recovery could look like, it is very clear that he would not have the quality of life he would want, nor the quality of life we would want for him. It was because of the virtually limitless support and...

Part of an ancient Egyptian king's unique sphinx was unveiled at a dig in northern Israel on Tuesday, with researchers struggling to understand just how the unexpected find ended up there. The broken granite sphinx statue -- including the paws and some of the mythical creature's forearms -- displayed at Tel Hazor archaeological site in Israel's Galilee, is the first such find in the region. Its discovery also marks the first time ever that researchers have found a statue dedicated to Egyptian ruler Mycerinus who ruled circa 2,500 BC and was builder of one of the three Giza pyramids, an...

Consider this.....History in written by the victors....I was watching a great series on Netflix.... "The Pyramid Code" which provides a much more reasonable explanation of things Egypt than the standard "tales" We keep being told the Pyramids were tombs built by Pharaohs, but there were never any mummies found in the Great Pyramid..... Another thought that was raised was that there were great Female Pharaohs that reigned over great years of peace, but who were then almost erased by religious leaders, MEN, who followed them.. To this end I offer the suggestion that all Egyptologists ignore: That the nose of...

After decades of research, American archaeologist Mark Lehner has some answers about the mysteries of the Egyptian colossus When Mark Lehner was a teenager in the late 1960s, his parents introduced him to the writings of the famed clairvoyant Edgar Cayce. During one of his trances, Cayce, who died in 1945, saw that refugees from the lost city of Atlantis buried their secrets in a hall of records under the Sphinx and that the hall would be discovered before the end of the 20th century. In 1971, Lehner, a bored sophomore at the University of North Dakota, wasnÂ’t planning to...

According to Robert Temple, a moat theory explains the water weathering of the Sphinx without hypothesizing that it dates back to an earlier period of more rainfall than the present. I will not address his other hypotheses, which I do not find persuasive, that the Sphinx was the jackal [wild dog] Anubis and the face seen on the Sphinx is that of the Middle Kingdom pharaoh Amenemhet II, though I note the original Sphinx has been reworked and the head re-carved... Assuming the argument that the Sphinx sat in a pool, either the water level around the Sphinx was the...

The Great Sphinx of Giza might have originally had the face of a lion and could be much older than previously thought, archaeologists have claimed. Until now its origins have been one of history's most enigmatic mysteries, but a new study suggests that the icon did not have the face of a pharaoh. The Sphinx is a statue of a reclining lion with a human head, which stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile River, near Cairo. It is the largest monolith statue in the world, standing 241 feet long, 20 feet wide and 65...

Egyptologist Bassam El Shammaa believes that the famed half-lion, half-man statue was an Egyptian deity that was erected next to another sphinx, which has since vanished without a trace. This contradicts what many have believed for centuries -- that a single colossal statue functioned as a guard to the Pyramids. The idea of two sphinxes is more in line with ancient Egyptian beliefs, which were mainly based on duality, the researcher said. He cited Ancient Egyptian records and mythology saying that lightening had destroyed part of the Sphinx. This may have been a reference to the second sphinx which was...

Climate key to Sphinx's riddle JEREMY WATSON GLOBAL warming is one of the greatest threats to present day civilisation but work by a team of Scots scientists suggests the ancient Egyptians may have been earlier victims of climate change. The pharaohs ruled their empire for hundreds of years, spreading culture, architecture and the arts before it collapsed into economic ruin. Why that happened is one of the great mysteries of history. Now a team of scientists from Scotland and Wales believe the answer lies beneath the waters of Lake Tana, high in the Ethiopian Highlands, and the source of the...

General view of the Sphinx and pyramids at Giza. The Great Sphinx of Giza, one of the most famous monuments of Pharaonic Egypt, is to get a facelift, the Egyptian ministry of culture said.(AFP/File/Amr Nabil) CAIRO (AFP) - The Great Sphinx of Giza, one of the most famous monuments of Pharaonic Egypt, is to get a facelift, the Egyptian ministry of culture said. Restoration work on the noseless creature undertaken by the High Council for Antiquities is to focus on the beast's neck and chest, rendered fragile by the erosion of desert winds. Egyptian antiquities boss Zahi Hawas said...