Archaeologists unveil two-thousand-year-old pharaoh Amenhotep III statues in Egypt

Statues join famous, 3,400-year-old Memnon colossi



Rare find 'had lain in pieces for centuries' according to archaeologists



36ft tall statue, weighs 250 tonnes and depicts the pharaoh seated

Two statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III have been unveiled in Luxor, Egypt.

The two monoliths in red quartzite were raised at what archaeologists said were their original sites in the funerary temple of the king, on the west bank of the Nile.

The statues join the famous, 3,400-year-old Memnon colossi - twin statues of Amenhotep III whose reign is believed to have marked the political and cultural zenith of ancient Egyptian civilisation.

Unveiling: Tourists and experts gather around the newly displayed statue of Amenhotep III in Luxor

Rare find: Archaeologists also discovered the alabaster head from another Amenhotep III statue

Tourists and experts yesterday joined archaeologists at the unveiling of the statues, which had remained undiscovered for centuries.

Hourig Sourouzian, who heads the project to conserve the Amenhotep III temple, said: ‘The world until now knew two Memnon colossi, but from today it will know four colossi of Amenhotep III.



‘The statues had lain in pieces for centuries in the fields, damaged by destructive forces of nature like earthquake, and later by irrigation water, salt, encroachment and vandalism.’

One of the statues is 36ft tall, weighs 250 tonnes and depicts the pharaoh seated, hands resting on his knees.

On display: The newly displayed statues join the famous, 3,400-year-old Memnon colossi

Design: Beside Amenhotep III's right leg stands nearly a complete figure of his wife Tiye

Who was Pharaoh Amenhotep III?

Pharaoh Amenhotep III inherited an empire that spanned from the Euphrates to Sudan, archaeologists say, and he was able to maintain Egypt's position mainly through diplomacy.



The 18th dynasty ruler became king at the age of around 12, with his mother as regent.



Amenhotep III died in around 1354 BC and was succeeded by his son Amenhotep IV, widely known as Akhenaten.



Archaeologists said with its now missing double crown, the original statue would have reached a height of more than 44ft and weighed 450 tonnes.

Beside his right leg stands nearly a complete figure of Amenhotep III's wife Tiye, wearing a large wig and a long tight-fitting dress.

The throne itself is decorated on each side with scenes from that era, showing the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.

The second statue, of Amenhotep III standing, has been installed at the north gate of the temple.

Other artefacts were also unveiled, including parts of other statues of the ancient ruler and his relatives, including a well-preserved alabaster head from another Amenhotep III statue.

‘This piece is unique, it is rare, because there are not many alabaster statues in the world,’ Sourouzian told AFP.

Tourist attraction: The Sun Court of Amenhotep III near where the new statues will be displayed

Ongoing work: The new statues join the Colossi of Memnon, two statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III in Luxor

Sourouzian said the aim of her team's work was to preserve these monuments and the temple itself, which according to her had suffered at the hands of ‘nature and mankind’.

‘Every ruin, every monument has its right to be treated decently,’ Sourouzian said.

‘The idea is to stop the dismantling of monuments and keep them at their sites,’ she said, adding that what was required was steady ‘international funding’ to conserve such world heritage sites.

The ongoing work to conserve the Amenhotep III temple is entirely funded through what she said were ‘private and international donations’.