Nile crocodile

Crocodiles – Some of the most interesting animals on Earth. They appeared a quarter of a billion years ago, and since then has changed very little. Surprisingly, the closest relatives of crocodiles from now living representatives of the animal world. birds. People with caution belong to the weak water vertebral, and do the right. In the ranking of the "most definite" animal crocodiles occupy the sixth place – they are killed every year to one and two thousand people. For comparison: the victims of hippos, which will surprise many, are up to 3,000 people per year, scorpions – 5,000, snakes – 50,000, from Fly Cetsa dies up to 400,000, and from diseases carried by mosquitoes, every year it dies to a million inhabitants of our planet annually. However, these figures are unlikely to reassure the tourist who has collided with a hungry three-meter "lizard".

Many people are confident that the habitat is the habitat of the Nile Crocodile (one of the most dangerous in the world, along with the rolling), is exclusively Egypt, namely Neil and its closest surroundings. This is not true. In fact, Nile crocodiles are East African, Malagasy, West African, Ethiopian, Central African, Kenyansky. Meets in Seychelles and Comoros. They were found in Asia, but Asian subspecies were completely destroyed. Adult males reach the length of 4-5 meters, and the mass of animals is 300-600 kg. Forest and larger individuals (almost up to six meters and up to a ton weight).

Interesting fact: the popular expression "cry crocodile tears" has an ancient history. The first written references to reptile tears date back to the X century of our era. Konstantinople Patriarch Fotius believed that these tears are bloodthirsty predators mourn human heads that are not joined in food. In reality, the tears are needed by crocodile for the outstanding salts from the body. Salt is accumulated in special glands in the very nasty, and is displayed as needed. Therefore, species living in the coastal areas of salted seas and lakes, "crying" much more often than their freshwater fellow.

Crocodile God and Crocodilopol

Before us, the history of Egypt reported the name of the crocodile god of the water and the spill of the Nile by the name of Sebek, known to the ancient Greeks under the name of Sukhos. His mother was Nate, patroness Saa, wedding keeper, female protector and goddess weaving, hunting, war, sky and wisdom. Such multifaceted god talents were not rare in the ancient Egyptian pantheon, but the list of the duties of priesta is significantly shorter. According to the "Texts of Pyramids" he has two main professions: defender of gods and people and a specialist in scaring the forces of darkness. Matched with the god of the Sun of the Republic of Armenia in the form of Sebec Ra, with the God of the Earth Geb, with Seth and Osiris. Belonged to this deity in different ways. At times, it was seen by the source of the power of the Pharaohs and the defender, sometimes hunted on it, passing by insults.

One of the main centers of the cult was in the Com-Maombo, where many crocodiles mummies found in one of the local temples. Com-Maombo, previously called noble, "city of gold", located in a semolot of kilometers north from the city of Aswan (ancient Siena), famous for Aswan dams, temples of the island of fillet, several tombs and a crocodile farm, where tourists are allowed to hold in the hands of small crocodiles. In the tourist routes, this temple in Kom-Mahbo is attended immediately after the temple in Erf.

The main center of the worship of Sebe was in the file. El-Fayum, the current administrative center of the Mustafase of the same name, spread out in the middle of the eponymous oasis, surrounded from all sides of the Libyan desert. The settlement in its own way is unique. He is the oldest of all the most ancient cities in the world and was founded over 6000 years ago. Here are some interesting sights of Egypt: UNESCO Paleontological Reserve Wadi Al-Chitan, ancient Necropolis Havar, a Turkish soaring mosque, the largest Egyptian waterfalls of El Ryang and Pyramid El Lahun – are not the biggest from Egyptian pyramids, but in their own way interesting.

In antiquity, El Fayum was the capital of the 21st Nome. Sebecka’s coast flourishing fell on the era of the board of the XII dynasty, but the appearance of a crocodile deity is likely to still apply to diving times, the era of tothemism and animistic beliefs. The emergence of supernatural reptile in the local religion is due to the large number of crocodiles on the shores of the artificial meridian of the lake, in antiquity of almost eight times the large area than today. Cult Sebieca especially spread in the era of the Middle Kingdom. In those days, many kings settled in the file, and part of the pharaohs included mention of the crocodile divine in its throne name (nephrilybet, sebekhhotep. ).

From the northern side of the El Fayum, there were mound from the ancient post, where the locals diluted crocodiles and worshiped them. The Greeks who came here after the conquest of Egypt Macedonian, called the city of Crocodylopal, and at Ptolemye II Philadelph renamed Arsino, named King’s wife.

Today, the mummy crocodiles can be seen by looking at the Cairo Museum, and some unconscious tourists are not away to buy products from crocodile leather in Egypt. Tourists would not cost to encourage thoughtless extermination of animals and does not prevent you from knowing that most of these souvenirs is a frank fake.

Interesting Facts:

– In ancient Egypt, crocodiles reassured by special spells. Modern residents of historical Nubia (part in Egypt, part in Sudan) calm themselves, having laid over the entrance to the dwelling figure of a crocodile guarding house from evil.

– According to Herodotus, the ancient Egyptians Nile Crocodiles often lived as pets.

– The Lake Victoria in 1948 was killed by the male weighing 1300-1500 kg and 6.4 meters long.

– According to Herodotus, who lived in Arsino (El Fayum), the sacred crocodile, which was revered by local residents, was buried in the tomb in a mummified form, like the pharaoh man. In some burials really found crocodile eggs and mummified predators. Several mummies exhibited in the Cairo Museum.