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Egypt has officially unveiled carefully restored giant statues of an ancient pharaoh in the southern city of Luxor, an event designed to boost the country’s vital tourism sector.
These monumental alabaster figures, famous as the Colossi of Memnon, depict Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt about 3,400 years ago.
Their reassembly and revival concludes an extensive renovation project that lasted nearly two decades.
Mohammad Ismail, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said: “Today we are truly celebrating the completion and erection of these two colossal statues.”
He stressed the profound importance of the colossi for Luxor, a city famous for its ancient temples and antiquities, and said they also represent an effort to “recreate what this funerary temple of King Amenhotep III looked like a long time ago.”
One of the most prominent pharaohs, Amenhotep III ruled during the 500 years of the New Kingdom, the most prosperous period for ancient Egypt. Pharaoh, whose mummy is on display cairo The Muses, ruled between 1390-1353 BC, a peaceful period known for their prosperity and great construction, including their mortuary temple, where the Colossi of Memnon are located, and another temple, Soleb, in Nubia.
The colossi were toppled by a powerful earthquake around 1200 BC, which also destroyed the funerary temple of Amenhotep III, said Mohammed Ismail, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
They were broken into pieces and partially excavated and their bases scattered. Some of their blocks were reused in the Karnak temple, but archaeologists took them back for the reconstruction of the colossi, according to the Ministry of Archeology.
In the late 1990s, an Egyptian German mission headed by the German Egyptologist Horig Sourouzian began work in the temple area, including the assembly and renovation of the colossi.
“The aim of this project is to save the last remains of the once iconic temple,” he said.
The statues depict Amenhotep III sitting with his hands on his thighs, and their faces looking east. Indigo And the rising sun. They wear the Nimes headdress over the double crown and pleated royal cloak, symbolizing the pharaoh’s divine rule.
Two other smaller statues at the pharaoh’s feet depict his wife, Tiye.
The colossi – measuring 14.5 meters (48 ft) and 13.6 meters (45 ft) respectively – are located at the entrance to the king’s temple on the west bank. IndigoThe 35-hectare (86-acre) complex is considered the largest and richest temple in Egypt and is commonly compared to the Karnak Temple in Luxor,
The colossi were carved in Egyptian alabaster from the mines of Hatnub in Middle Egypt. They were installed on large pillars on which the name of the mine was inscribed along with the name of the temple.
The ministry said that unlike other monumental statues of ancient Egypt, the colossi were partially assembled with separately fabricated pieces, which were fixed to the main monolithic alabaster core of each statue.
Sunday’s unveiling in Luxor came just six weeks after the opening of the long-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum, the centerpiece of the government’s bid to boost the country’s tourism industry and inject cash into the troubled economy. The mega project is located near the famous Giza Pyramid And the Sphinx.
The tourism sector, which relies heavily on Egypt’s rich Pharaonic artefacts, has suffered during years of political turmoil and violence following the 2011 uprising. In recent years, the region has begun to recover after the coronavirus pandemic. Russiathe war continues ukraine – Both countries are major sources of tourists coming to Egypt.
“This site will remain a center of interest for years to come,” he said Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathi, who attended the unveiling ceremony. “There are always new things happening in Luxor.”
A record number of nearly 15.7 million tourists visited Egypt in 2024, accounting for nearly 8% of the country’s tourism. gross domestic productAccording to official figures.
Minister Fathy has said that about 18 million tourists are expected to visit the country this year, with officials expecting 30 million tourists annually by 2032.