Overview:

The Colossi of Memnon are two 18-meter-tall statues in Luxor, Egypt, located on the West Bank of the Nile River near the city’s modern Aswan Bridge. Carved from blocks of quartzite sandstone, they are thought to have been constructed by Pharaoh Amenhotep III in the 14th century BC. The statues depict Pharaoh Amenhotep III in a seated position, with his Arms raised and his hands clenched in a symbol of power. The Colossi have become a major tourist attraction in the area, and are one of the most iconic monuments in all of Egypt. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Egypt
Prominent Features:

, two large stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III from the 18th Dynasty (1390 - 1352 BC), commonly known as the Colossi of Memnon, sit facing each other on the edge of the Nile River in Luxor. They are the most recognizable remnant of a temple complex that was destroyed by time and natural disasters. The Colossi are 60 feet high and weigh about 700 tons each. The statues were carved from quartzite sandstone, which is yellowish in color. They depict the Pharaoh Amenhotep III seated in a traditional Egyptian throne. The structures are believed to have served as guardians of the entrance to the temple complex. In legend, it was believed that the Colossi of Memnon would come to life each morning and sing in greeting of the sun god, Ra, when struck by the first rays of the day. This phenomenon has since stopped happening, but has been replaced by the undeniable beauty and mystique of standing before these immense structures that have watched over the Nile from their iconic vantage point for thousands of years. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Egypt.

History:

The two Colossi of Memnon (also known as Amenhotep III), are a pair of monumental stones stands on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor, Egypt. The statues represent Pharaoh Amenhotep III, in a seated position. They stand at around 18m (59ft) high and weigh over 700 tons. The statues are believed to have been part of Amenhotep's mortuary temple that was built in the 14th century BCE. According to one ancient source, they were witnesses to the burial of the pharaoh's wife, Queen Tiye, in the Valley of the Kings. At some point after their construction, the statues were damaged by an earthquake and began to emit a “vibration like the sound of a harp.” This phenomenon soon drew to the attention of many poets and historians, including Ovid, who wrote of the “magical singing of the Memnon” in his Metamorphoses. By the 19th century, the statues were in a state of disrepair and were eventually restored by a team of experts from England. One of the statues was finally placed in the British Museum in London in 1891 and the other is now a major tourist attraction in Luxor. Visit one of the famous monuments of Egypt with your friends and family.

Interesting facts:

1. The Colossi of Memnon are two gigantic, monumental statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. They are located on the western bank of the Nile River in Luxor, Egypt. 2. The Colossi stand almost 20 meters (66 ft) high, and are the largest remnants of the ancient Temple of Amenhotep III. 3. The statues were placed at the entrance of the temple to serve as guardians. 4. They were damaged by an earthquake in 27 BC, resulting in the figure of Amenhotep III to suffer significant damage. 5. One of the statues is said to have "spoke" and whenever the morning dew touched its lips, it emits a musical sound. 6. During the Roman times, the Colossi of Memnon were also known as the Statue of the Siwa Oasis. The Siwa Oasis is a small desert settlement in Egypt. 7. There is a popular belief that the sage Memnon, son of the goddess Eos, froze to death here while fighting the Trojan War. 8. In the 4th-century, the statues were moved from their original position to other locations, where they served multiple purposes, such as a fort or a temple. 9. In the 17th century, the Ottoman Empire restored the Colossi to its former glory by fixing the damage caused by the earthquake. One of the historical monuments of Egypt, it tells the story of a bygone era