The Colossi of Memnon (colossal statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III) at twilight on the West Bank of Luxor, Egypt
The Colossi of Memnon (Arabic: el-Colossat or es-Salamat) are two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, which stand at the front of the ruined Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III, the largest temple in the Theban Necropolis. They have stood since 1350 BC, and were well known to ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as early modern travelers and Egyptologists. The statues contain 107 Roman-era inscriptions in Greek and Latin, dated to between AD 20 and 250; many of these inscriptions on the northernmost statue make reference to the Greek mythological king Memnon, whom the statue was then - erroneously - thought to represent. Scholars have debated how the identification of the northern colossus as "Memnon" is connected to the Greek name for the entire Theban Necropolis as the Memnonium.
Size: 5760px × 3840px
Location: Colossi of Memnon, Al Qarna, Luxor Governorate, Egypt, Africa
Photo credit: © DE ROCKER / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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