Luxor, Egypt | Unveiled the Restored Colossi of Memnon, Two Colossal Alabaster Statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III

Luxor, an iconic city on the east bank of the Nile River in southern Egypt, developed on the site of ancient Thebes, the pharaohs’ capital at the height of their power, during the 16th - 11th centuries B.C., famous as the “world’s greatest open – air museum”, packed with monumental ancient Egyptian temples and tombs, including the vast Karnak Temple Complex, Luxor Temple, the royal burial ground of the Valley of the Kings, home to Tutankhamun’s tomb has unveiled the restored Colossi of Menmon. 

These two colossal alabaster statues depict Pharaoh Amenhotep III, also known as Amenhotep the Magnificent or Amenhotep the Great, the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty, king of Egypt in a period of peaceful prosperity that marked the zenith of the ancient Egyptian civilization, both in terms of political power and cultural achievement, famous to expand diplomatic contacts and to extensive building in Egypt and Nubia.

Following a two - decade conservation and reassembly project to reassemble pieces scattered by earthquakes and neglect, the two giant statues now shine and highlighting details like the pharaoh wife Queen Tiye at his feet.

The restoration project, launched in 1998, marks a major archaeological success for Egypt. The operations were led by the Supreme Council of Antiquities with a an Egyptian - German mission chaired by Egyptologist Hourig Sourouzian.

Carved from Hatnub alabaster, the seated figures face east towards the Nile and work aims to revive the appearance of the pharaoh’s mortuary temple on the city’s west bank and forms part of wider efforts to attract visitors.

The statues, 14.5 metres and 13.6 metres high, were toppled by ancient earthquakes around 1200 BC and later quarried, with their blocks reused at Karnak in other structures, before archaeologists reassembled them on their original pedestals.

Key Features of the Restoration: 

•    Reassembly: Hundreds of fragmented alabaster pieces, buried under silt, were painstakingly pieced back together on their original pedestals. 
•    Material: Modern, compatible materials were used alongside the original Hatnub alabaster for long - term preservation.
•    Water Management: An integrated system was installed to protect the statues from rising groundwater levels.  
•    Details: The statues depict the pharaoh Amenhotep III seated, wearing royal regalia (memes, headdress, double crown, kilt) with his wife Queen Tiye and Princess Isis carved at his feet. 
•    Polychromy: The thrones feature remnants of original paint, symbolizing the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. 

The unveiled restoration follows the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza and comes as Egypt reported a record 15.7 million in 2024; authorities expect about 18 million this year with a goal of 30 million by 2032.

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