We all know that the most famous statue of the sphinx is located in Giza, Egypt. But did you know that one of the largest sphinxes in Europe is located in Zadar? This is less known information for all those who are not residents of Zadar, but the Sphinx of Zadar is attracting more and more attention.
Sea organ and Greetings to the sun every year they attract a large number of tourists to Zadar. These two attractions located on the Zadar peninsula need not be particularly presented. But in Zadar there is another attraction, a hidden gem, which has not been highlighted as a curiosity or tourist product.
Zadar Sphinx and its history
Zadar sphinx for many years it was forgotten and neglected. It was made in 1918 in the Zadar area of Brodarica. It was commissioned by the Zadar conservator and painter Giovanni Smirich (Ivan Smirić) in memory of his beloved wife Attila, who died prematurely. According to romantic legend, fulfills love desires. The construction coincided with the construction of the first villa (villa Atilla) in Zadar's Maestral Bay, with an English park, in which he erected an exedra and a statue of the Sphinx.
Zadar sphinx it is five meters long and three meters high. In front of it was a pool in which goldfish swam. He has a typical Egyptian headdress on his head - a nemesis, which is decorated with hieroglyphs on the sides. Its specificity is that instead of front lion paws it has human hands holding a sword, but it was broken after World War II, just like the relief of an eagle on its chest.
Over the years about the Zadar sphinx numerous legends circulated, and some of them were partly responsible for the destruction and decay of the statue. It was rumored that there was a buried treasure under the sphinx, which resulted in the appearance of numerous "researchers" who damaged the statue with their excavations. There was also a legend that the sphinx statue was actually a tomb.
The sphinx and the space around it will soon shine with full splendor
For all visitors, the entrance to the Park where the Zadar Sphinx is located it is free and open all year round. The main entrance is on the road along the coast, but there are two more. The park is located on the coast, just a 20-minute walk from the Peninsula and is easily accessible.
Reconstruction work on the sphinx and the area around it should begin soon. Namely, the City of Zadar, through the RECOLOR project, which will end in June, provided funds and prepared the entire documentation. In this way, this part of the city, which until now was less known to tourists, will be revived. The tourist route would start from the peninsula, and it will include Zadar's boatmen, who will use their boats to transport interested tourists.
It was also made Website with which they can read, see and hear interesting information about the site. The traditional tourist tour, as stated in the project description, is enriched with a virtual tour in the form of a promotional-educational video and a 3D model as an unavoidable feature of modern technologies.
Photos: Bojan Bogdanić, source: Zadar Tourist Board
