Colossi of Memnon

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What is the Colossi of Memnon?

The twin statues depict Amenhotep III (14th century BCE) in a seated position, his hands resting on his knees and his gaze facing eastwards (actually ESE in modern bearings) towards the river. Two shorter figures are carved into the front throne alongside his legs: these are his wife Tiye and mother Mutemwiya. The side panels depict the Nile god Hapi.

The statues are made from blocks of quartzite sandstone which was quarried at el-Gabal el-Ahmar (near modern-day Cairo) and transported 675 km (420 mi) overland to Thebes (Luxor). The stones are believed to be too heavy to have been transported upstream on the Nile. The blocks used by later Roman engineers to reconstruct the northern colossus may have come from Edfu (north of Aswan). Including the stone platforms on which they stand – themselves about 4 m (13 ft) – the colossi reach a towering 18 m (60 ft) in height and weigh an estimated 720 tons each. The two figures are about 15 m (50 ft) apart.

Both statues are quite damaged, with the features above the waist virtually unrecognizable. The southern statue comprises a single piece of stone, but the northern figure has a large extensive crack in the lower half and above the waist consists of 5 tiers of stone. These upper levels consist of a different type of sandstone, and are the result of a later reconstruction attempt, which William de Wiveleslie Abney attributed to Septimus Severus. It is believed that originally the two statues were identical to each other, although inscriptions and minor art may have varied.

Some tiny parts of the temple that stood behind the colossi remain and more is being uncovered now that the excavation is underway. Many statues, among them the huge dyad of Amenhotep III and his wife Tiye that now dominates the central court of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, were later dragged off by other pharaohs, but much still remains beneath the silt. A stele, also now in the Egyptian Museum, describes the temple as being built from ‘white sandstone, with gold throughout, a floor covered with silver, and doors covered with electrum’. No gold or silver has yet been found, but if you wander behind the colossi, you can see the huge area littered with statues and masonry that had long lain under the ground.

Where is the Colossi of Memnon Located?

In the West Bank of Luxor Egypt, two magnificent twin statues image of pharaoh Amenhotep III and two smaller statues carved by his feet (one being his wife and the other his mother), stands graciously in the horizon of the magnificent Luxor horizons.

 The two statues, each measuring 60 feet tall, stands in the entrance of Amenhotep III’s mortuary temple. They are famously named by the name of Colossi of Memnon due to a phenomenon produced by one of the statues after an earthquake. 

Originally built in the Theban Necropolis in the west of the Nile River in the modern city of Luxor, the Colossi of Memnon, two colossal statues made of quartzite sandstone, which archaeologists believe was quarried at El-Gabal el-Ahmar, located near modern Cairo and then transported 420 miles overland to the ancient city of Thebes, remain after thousands of years.

The Legend of the song

The colossi were already a great tourist attraction during Graeco-Roman times, when the statues were attributed to Memnon, the legendary African king who was slain by Achilles during the Trojan War. The Greeks and Romans considered it good luck to hear the whistling sound emitted by the northern statue at sunrise, which they believed to be the cry of Memnon greeting his mother Eos, the goddess of dawn. She in turn would weep tears of dew for his untimely death. All this was probably due to a crack in the colossus’ upper body, which appeared after the 27 BC earthquake. As the heat of the morning sun baked the dew-soaked stone, sand particles would break off and resonate inside the cracks in the structure. After Septimus Severus (193–211 AD) repaired the statue in the 3rd century AD, Memnon’s plaintive greeting was heard no more.

How to Visit The Colossi of Memnon?

The Colossi of Memnon are usually included on guided tours of the ancient Thebes necropolises of the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, and the Temple of Hatshepsut.

The colossi are just off the road, before you reach the Antiquities Inspectorate ticket office, and are usually being snapped and filmed by an army of tourists. Yet few visitors have any idea that these giant enthroned figures are set in front of the main entrance to an equally impressive funerary temple, the largest in Egypt, the remains of which are slowly being brought to light.

When was The Colossi of Memnon built?

Pharaoh Amenhotep III reigned in Egypt during the 18th Dynasty from 1386 to 1349. During his kingdom, Egypt experienced a time of great prosperity and artistic progress, this era was known as the Old Kingdom. During the Old Kingdom, the architectural work improved tremendously in Egypt, and most of these monuments are still standing today.

Many of these majestic monuments were built during Amenhotep III’s 39 years of reign including the Colossi of Memnon which construction was completed by 1350 BC. The Colossi of Memnon was constructed in front of which once was Amenhotep III’ temple (destroyed by an earthquake soon after its completion). Amenhotep Temple served as a funerary temple to the Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Due to an earthquake at 27 BC the Colossi of Memnon was partially destroyed and then restored by Roman emperors during the Roman Empire in ancient Egypt.

The story behind the name of Memnon

The modern Arabic name is Kom el-Hatan, but it is generally known by the Roman name as the Temple of Memnon. Memnon was a hero of the Trojan War, a King of Ethiopia who led his armies from Africa into Asia Minor to help defend the beleaguered city but was ultimately slain by Achilles. Memnon (whose name means the Steadfast or Resolute) was said to be the son of Eos, the goddess of dawn. He was associated with colossi built several centuries earlier, because of the reported cry at dawn of the northern statue, which became known as the Colossus of Memnon. Eventually, the entire Theban Necropolis became generally referred to as the Memnonium making him “Ruler of the west” as in the case of the god Osiris who was called chief of the west.

Recommended Tours to The Colossi of Memnon

The Colossi of Memnon are usually included on guided tours of the ancient Thebes necropolises of the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, and the Temple of Hatshepsut:

Luxor East and West Bank Tour

Luxor west bank day tour

Day Trip from Cairo to Luxor by plane

2 Days Trip to Luxor and Aswan from Hurghada

2 Days Trip to Luxor from Hurghada

Luxor Day Tour from Hurghada

Two Days Trip to Luxor from Marsa Alam

Two Days Trip to Luxor and Aswan from Marsa Alam

Luxor Day Tour from Marsa Alam

Luxor day tour from Aswan

Tips and advices before visiting Luxor Egypt

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