Luxor showcases restored giant pharaoh statues
LUXOR (EGYPT), Dec 14: Egypt on Sunday unveiled the restoration of two colossal statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III in Luxor, part of ongoing archaeological initiatives aimed at boosting tourism. Known as the Colossi of Memnon, the statues were reassembled after a renovation project spanning nearly two decades.
Amenhotep III, one of ancient Egypt’s most prominent rulers, governed during the New Kingdom (1390–1353 BC), a period marked by peace, prosperity, and extensive construction, including his mortuary temple where the colossi are located.
The statues were toppled by a major earthquake around 1200 BC, which also destroyed much of Amenhotep III’s funerary temple. Over centuries, fragments of the colossi were dispersed or reused in nearby structures, including the Karnak temple.
Archaeologists, including a late-1990s Egyptian-German mission led by German Egyptologist Hourig Sourouzian, undertook the painstaking restoration to preserve the remaining elements of the temple and rebuild the statues.
The Colossi of Memnon depict Amenhotep III seated, hands on his thighs, facing east toward the Nile and the rising sun. Both wear the nemes headdress topped with the double crown and a pleated royal kilt, symbolizing divine rule.
Small statues on the pharaoh’s feet represent his wife, Tiye. Measuring 14.5 and 13.6 meters, the colossi stand at the entrance of the king’s temple on the western bank of the Nile, in a 35-hectare complex often compared to Luxor’s Karnak temple.
Crafted from Egyptian alabaster from Hatnub quarries, the statues were assembled from individually sculpted pieces fixed into monolithic cores.
The unveiling follows the recent inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx, a centerpiece of Egypt’s push to revive tourism.
The sector, previously hurt by political instability and the pandemic, has seen growth, with a record 15.7 million tourists visiting in 2024, contributing roughly 8 percent to the country’s GDP. Authorities expect 18 million tourists in 2025, targeting 30 million annually by 2032.
Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy highlighted the colossi site as a major attraction for years to come, reinforcing Luxor’s role as a hub for Egypt’s rich archaeological and cultural heritage. (AP)
