Egypt Unveils Restored Statues of Pharaoh in Luxor

Egypt on Sunday revealed the revamp of two colossal statues of a prominent pharaoh in the southern city of Luxor, the latest in the government's archaeological events intended to draw more tourists to the country. The giant alabaster statues, known as the Colossi of Memnon, were reassembled in a renovation project that lasted about two decades, the AP reports. They represent Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt about 3,400 years ago. The unveiling came just six weeks after the inauguration of the long-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum, the centerpiece of the government's bid to bring tourists' cash into the troubled economy. "This site is going to be a point of interest for years to come," Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy said at the ceremony.

• The spot: The colossi—48 feet and 45 feet—preside over the entrance of the king's temple on the western bank of the Nile. The 86-acre complex is believed to be the largest and richest temple in Egypt and is usually compared to the temple of Karnak, also in Luxor. Mohamed Ismail of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said the colossi are of great significance to Luxor, which is known for its ancient temples and other antiquities.
• The pharaoh: King Amenhotep III, one of the most prominent pharaohs, ruled during the 500 years of the New Kingdom, which was the most prosperous time for ancient Egypt. The pharaoh, whose mummy is showcased at a Cairo museum, ruled between 1390–1353 BC, a peaceful period known for its prosperity and great construction, including his mortuary temple, where the Colossi of Memnon are located, and another temple, Soleb, in Nubia.
• Restored: The colossi were toppled by an earthquake around 1200 BC that also destroyed Amenhotep III's funerary temple, said Ismail. They were fragmented and partly quarried away, with their pedestals dispersed. Some of their blocks were reused in the Karnak temple, but archaeologists brought them back to rebuild the colossi. In late 1990s, an Egyptian German mission began working in the temple area, including the assembly and renovation of the colossi.

• Up close: The statues show Amenhotep III seated with hands resting on his thighs, with their faces looking eastward toward the Nile and the rising sun. They wear the nemes headdress surmounted by the double crowns and the pleated royal kilt, which symbolizes the pharaoh's divine rule. Two other small statues on the pharaoh's feet depict his wife, Tiye. The colossi were hewn in Egyptian alabaster from the quarries of Hatnub, in Middle Egypt. They were fixed on large pedestals with inscriptions showing the name of the temple, as well as the quarry.
• The industry: The tourism sector, which depends heavily on Egypt's rich pharaonic artifacts, has suffered during years of political turmoil and violence following the 2011 uprising. The sector has started to recover after the coronavirus pandemic and during Russia's war on Ukraine; both countries are major sources of tourists visiting Egypt. A record number of about 15.7 million tourists visited Egypt last year, contributing about 8% of the country's GDP, according to official figures. The nation expects about 18 million tourists to visit this year, with as many as 30 million arriving annually by 2032.