Restored Colossi of Memnon unveiled in Luxor
Egypt has unveiled the restored Colossi of Memnon – two colossal alabaster statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III – in Luxor, following a two‑decade conservation and reassembly project. Led by the Supreme Council of Antiquities with an Egyptian–German mission chaired by Egyptologist Hourig Sourouzian, the 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 and later quarried, with blocks reused at Karnak before teams reassembled them on their original pedestals. Carved from Hatnub alabaster, the seated figures face east towards the Nile with smaller figures of Queen Tiye at their feet. The unveiling follows the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum and comes as Egypt reported a record 15.7 million visitors in 2024; authorities expect about 18 million this year, with a goal of 30 million annually by 2032.
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Source: Africa News