The Colossi of Memnon are two colossal stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who ruled Egypt from 1386 to 1353 BC during the Eighteenth Dynasty. It shows the king seated on a throne with reliefs of his mother, wife, the god Hapi, and other symbols. As early as 1350 BC, quartzite stones were taken from the ground at Red Mountain. It was built to monitor the tomb complex of Amenhotep. Earthquakes and floods swept through Egypt and reduced this massive complex to rubble.
How was the Colossi of Memnon made?
Each is 18 meters long and weighs 720 tons. It is made of sandstone blocks cut and shaped by hand. They are statues of kings seated on a two-seater throne. The pharaoh wears the royal headdress of a mongoose and is protected by a divine cobra. The king puts his hands on his knees and turns east towards the Nile. In front of the statues are two small figures resembling his wife, Tai, and his mother, Motemwe. The two statues were broken but still stand as evidence of the fantastic Egyptian culture and civilization.
Where were the statues found:
It is located west of the Egyptian city of Luxor, in Thebes Cemetery, one of the most important tourist attractions in the Colossi of Memnon in Luxor, and you cannot miss it on your tours in Egypt. The two statues are located about half a kilometre east of the Antiquities Inspectorate (ticket office) on the main road to the memorial area on the west bank.
Information about Amenhotep III:
Pharaoh Amenhotep III lived in the era of the New Kingdom, which was from 1570 to 1069 BC. During this time, Egypt has become a powerful and wealthy country on the world stage. His father left him a stable empire when he was only twelve years old. He married Tiye, who was called the “Great Royal Lady”. Even Amenhotep’s mother was not given this title, which shows how great Amenhotep and his wife Tiye are as a couple.
He had a grand plan for the country, showing the 250 buildings, temples, paintings and statues he built during his illustrious reign. Near Thebes, the Queen’s Palace is on the west bank of the Nile, a fascinating palace. This wonderful place has many rooms, a festival hall, gardens, libraries, kitchens, conference halls and the Temple of Amun.
Amenhotep III built the most significant and prominent building in Egypt. It was a group of graves. Even more than the Karnak Temple, it gave me hope. It had so many chambers, halls, and plateaus that it resembled an Egyptian paradise, a field of reeds. Today, not many remains of Amenhotep’s temple. It was destroyed by earthquakes and floods in Egypt, which were very bad.
The Colossus of Memnon is a sign of how the king ruled Egypt. Amenhotep III, his wife Tiye, and his mother Mutmuya, who all appear in the statues, are all signs of a rebirth. They have survived every natural disaster that happened to them.
The Charade of Memnon is part of Greek mythology:
The great Greek myths say that Achilles killed Memnon, the mortal son of Eos, the goddess of the dawn. People also believed that the two statues could sing, which is most likely due to the earthquake shattering the tops of the statues, causing them to make noises every morning at dawn. Many ideas have been put forward about what makes the figures look the way they do, but the whole thing remains confusing and mysterious.
During the Trojan War, Memnon was a hero. He was also the king of Ethiopia and led his forces from Africa to Asia to defend the city under attack. In the end, Achilles killed him. Most of the time, the two statues call the entire Theban necropolis “Memnonium”. This name has been used for more than 2,000 years.
