The
colossus of Ramses II was unveiled at Luxor Temple as part of Ministry of
Antiquities celebrations of the World Heritage Day. Written By/ Nevine
El-Aref.
Ministry of
Antiquities celebrations of World Heritage Day extended to Luxor as Minister of
Antiquities Khaled El-Enany and Luxor Governor Mohamed Badr inaugurated a new
display at Luxor Museum after the transfer of 122 artefacts from the King
Tutankhamun collection at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Elham Salah, head of
the museums sector at the ministry, said that the new display includes of 186
artefacts that were recently discovered by an Egyptian archaeological mission
at Draa Abul Naga necropolis on Luxor’s west bank. The objects include a
collection of ushabti figurines (statuettes), painted mummy masks, anthropoid
sarcophagi jewelleries, and a beautifully carved statuette of Isis Nefret, the
singer of the god Amun.
El-Enany and Badr then
went to Luxor Temple to unveil the colossus of King Ramses II after
restoration. Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of
Antiquities, explained that the colossus once adorned the façade of Luxor
Temple but collapsed during a destructive earthquake in antiquity.
He continued that the
restoration and reconstruction of the colossus took almost six months in
collaborate with the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces and Luxor
Governorate who provided the restoration material required.
Waziri added that the
statue was found broken into 14 blocks of different sizes. The largest two were
the head of the statue and the base, representing 40 per cent of the original
colossus. The colossus is carved in black granite and weighs 65 tons at a
height of 11.7 metres. It depicts Ramses II standing wearing the double crown,
his left leg in front of him.
Ahmed Orabi, general
director of Luxor Temple, said that the colossus was found during excavation
works carried out by Mohamed Abdel Kader in 1958 to 1960, which also uncovered
other colossi.
This colossi is the
second to be restored by the Ministry of Antiquities. The first was completed
last year. It is carved in black granite, weighs 75 tons and stands at a height
of 11 metres. It depicts Ramses II wearing the double crown, his left leg
in front of him. Beside him stands a 1.5 metre statue of his wife, Queen
Nefertari.
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