Luxor is already a world-famous tourist destination with ancient temples and pharaoh tombs, and now, Luxor has two more precious artifacts to display.
These two colossal statues were cast from a single block of stone. They would have once been housed in the temple of King Amenhotep III, located on the west bank of the Nile.
Temple of King Amenhotep III.
This 3,400-year-old temple already has two giant statues depicting King Amenhotep III.
During the reign of King Amenhotep III, ancient Egyptian civilization reached its peak.
The two newly discovered statues were broken, their fragments scattered across a field for centuries, heavily affected by natural conditions. It took archaeologists months to recover even a small amount of the giant statue fragments.
Two new statues were found, each weighing up to 250 tons. One depicts King Amenhotep III in a seated position, his hands resting on his knees. The second depicts him standing.
Both statues are missing their crowns. The original statue would have weighed 450 tons.
At the right foot of the seated statue of the king is a figure of a woman, his wife, Queen Tiye. A statue of the king's mother was certainly placed at the left foot, but it has been lost.
On the king's throne were engraved images of the life of the Egyptian people at that time, showing the unity of people across the country.
The head of a statue depicting King Amenhotep III has also been found. The body of the statue is completely missing.
