Luxor’s Colossi of Memnon is a sight to see.

The two majestic Statues of Memnon, which are located on the West Bank of the Nile, opposite Luxor City, are a sight to see.

These colossal figures were seen as having unique importance at the time of their construction, and they continue to serve as an entrance and passageway into the Valley of the Kings today.

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Directions:

In addition to being a one-hour flight from Cairo, three hours by road from the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, and three hours by road from the Egyptian capital of Aswan, Luxor is readily accessible by a variety of modes of transportation, including railways connecting Cairo and Aswan.

History:

The Colossi of Memnon, which stand 23 meters tall and weigh a thousand tonnes each, were carved from stones of quartzite mined in Giza or Gebel Es-Silseleh and transported to their current locations.

They show Amenhotep III with his mother Mutemwia (on the southern colossus) and his wife, Tiy (on the eastern colossus), as well as one of his daughters, among other things.

The relief sculptures on the sides of the seats, on which the king sits, depict Nile Gods bringing together plants representing Upper and Lower Egypt in a weaving pattern.

The Colossi alone were enough to persuade early Greek and Roman travelers that the location had once been a significant center of importance.

In the aftermath of an earthquake in 27 BC. Because it had been cracked, the northern colossus began to produce a bell-like sound each morning as the warmth and humidity increased.

Traditionally, Greeks thought that this was Memnon’s welcome to his mother, Eos, goddess of dawn, after his death during the Trojan War and subsequent immortalization by the deity Zeus.

It was believed that hearing this song would bring good fortune.

When Septimus Severus repaired breaches in the colossus in 199 AD, the wailing came to an abrupt halt.

Visitors from Greece and Rome wrote graffiti on the Colossi proclaiming that they had heard the voice of Memnon

. On three successive mornings, the emperor Hadrian was awakened by the sound of the Colossus singing, which he interpreted as a sign that the gods regarded him in particularly high respect.

The southern colossus was referred to as the ‘Rulers of Rulers’ by the ancient Egyptians.

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