COLOSSI OF MEMNON

Located just 2000 feet (600 meters) from the mortuary temple of Ramses III are the Colossi of Memnon.

These two monumental stone statues depict Pharaoh Amenhotep III.

They stand on the west bank of Thebes, at Kom el-Hettan, along the road leading to the Theban necropolis.

These statues are the last remnants of the great "Temple of Millions of Years" of Amenhotep III, built around 1350 BCE, which has now disappeared.

They were carved from single blocks of quartzite sandstone, transported from quarries near Cairo, located over 420 miles (675 kilometers) away.

The northern colossus, visible on the right in this image, was under restoration during my visit.

Here is the southern colossus, which has remained in better condition.

Each statue stands approximately 60 feet (18 meters) tall and weighs... no less than 794 US tons (720 metric tonnes)!

Over the centuries, earthquakes and Nile floods have caused significant damage to the statues, making it difficult today to precisely identify the features of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.

It is time to leave this colossus, as well as the region of Thebes and Luxor, to set off toward the south...

All photos of Colossi of Memnon © 2010 by Richard Soberka