During his visit today to Luxor to inspect a number of archaeological sites, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy witnessed the unveiling of two colossal alabaster statues of King Amenhotep III, after they were restored, reassembled and re-erected in their original location at the third pylon of the king's mortuary temple on Luxor's West Bank, accompanied by Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The event was attended by Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, head of the Antiquities Conservation and Registration Sector; Rana Gohar, Adviser to the Minister for External Relations and General Supervisor of the General Department of International Organizations for Cultural Heritage and International Cooperation; Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector; Dr. Bahaa Abdel Gaber, Director General of the West Bank Antiquities Area; Dr. Dietrich Raue, Director of the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo; Dr. Hourig Sourouzian, the project director; and Dr. Nairy Hampikian, the site engineer.
This came as part of the Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple Conservation Project, which began in 1998 in cooperation between the Supreme Council of Antiquities; the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo, which supported the project's initiative; the World Monuments Watch program and the World Monuments Fund, which made it possible to conceive the site conservation project in 1998 and begin implementing it; and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, with the aim of protecting what remains of the temple and restoring it to its original form as far as possible. The work resulted in the discovery, restoration, documentation, reassembly and re-erection of many statues that had stood in the temple, as well as some of its architectural elements.
In his speech on this occasion, Sherif Fathy expressed his delight at the work he witnessed today, describing it as a major achievement and outstanding work aimed at preserving and reviving one of the most important landmarks of the ancient Egyptian civilization in a manner befitting its historical value, helping to strengthen Luxor's position as one of the world's most important tourist and cultural destinations.
The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities stressed that the work he witnessed today reflects genuine passion and great commitment from everyone involved in the project, noting that what has been achieved is a tangible accomplishment that inspires pride and embodies the belief of those in charge in their mission and in the greatness and historical depth of Egyptian civilization.
He also pointed to the Egyptian-German cooperation spanning many years, stressing that it represents a successful model of fruitful international cooperation, and expressed his hope that this constructive cooperation will continue for many years to come in service of the goals of preserving human heritage.
Concluding his speech, the minister praised the efforts of the site workers in arduous work, noting that their handling of thousands of tons of heavy loads reflects the scale of the challenges they faced, as if they were moving them across vast distances, and affirmed his full appreciation for their dedication and devotion in completing this work honorably.
Sherif Fathy also honored Dr. Hourig Sourouzian, presenting her with a certificate of appreciation from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in recognition of her continuous efforts and outstanding contribution over the past years to reviving the mortuary temple of King Amenhotep III, as well as a replica of one of the statues of Sekhmet, goddess of protection, a large number of whose statues were uncovered at the site during her supervision of the project.
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled explained that the restoration, documentation, reassembly and re-erection of the two colossal statues, which took nearly two decades, were carried out according to the latest scientific methods and approved international standards in archaeological restoration, ensuring the preservation of their authenticity and historical value and their return to their original position within the mortuary temple of King Amenhotep III on the West Bank in Luxor.
He noted that the restoration work included precise scientific studies, comprehensive documentation of the statues' condition and the use of materials compatible with the nature of the ancient stone, ensuring their long-term sustainability while taking into account the environmental and climatic conditions surrounding the site. He described the work as an important step within an integrated plan to revive and develop the archaeological sites of Luxor's West Bank and enhance the visitor experience, while fully preserving the site's archaeological and historical value, as documentation and restoration work is currently under way on the first pylon of the Ramesseum temple, and the studies needed to determine the state of preservation of the tomb of Queen Nefertari, with a view to possibly reopening it to the public, are nearing completion.
In his speech, Dr. Dietrich Raue, Director of the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo, described the project as one of the largest and most important joint archaeological projects, explaining that it involved many complex works within a close and fruitful cooperation, and expressed his sincere thanks to the ministry for its continuous support, which helped bring the project to today's inauguration and to the two statues standing in their current form.
Dr. Dietrich Raue noted that this achievement is the fruit of joint cooperation by an international and local team that included Egyptian and foreign experts, praising the role of the American Research Center in Egypt in supporting the project to lower the groundwater level in the area. He expressed hope that the joint cooperation would continue to complete more projects in the future, congratulating everyone who took part in this work on its success.
Dr. Nairy Hampikian reviewed the main challenges the project faced over the past years, namely the constant change in the groundwater level, rising and falling, which required precise engineering and technical solutions to maintain the stability of the archaeological site.
She noted that the project was a real opportunity to build qualified Egyptian cadres, as more than 30 Egyptian restorers were trained and qualified, and about 10 architects were attracted to work in the field of antiquities, within an effective and complementary partnership between Egyptian and international expertise.
She also praised the cooperation between the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the German Archaeological Institute since 1998 in achieving unprecedented results in both restoration and capacity building, adding that what has been achieved at the site is a pioneering model to be followed in joint archaeological work and international cooperation.
Dr. Hourig Sourouzian said that over the years of its work on the project, the mission had found parts of the two statues scattered across the site, but they were in a poor state of preservation, having been submerged in silt and salty water. Some of the granite blocks making up the base of the two statues were also retrieved from the open-air museum at the Karnak temples.
She added that in 2006 the project team began cleaning and restoring the two statues, carrying out 3D scanning and reassembling the scattered blocks that make them up, until they were reassembled and re-erected today, in 2025, in their original display location in the temple. The two statues range in height between 13.6 and 14.5 meters.
In a related context, Mohamed Abdel Badie pointed out that the two statues depict King Amenhotep III seated, with his hands resting on his thighs, wearing the "nemes" headdress topped by the double crown and the pleated royal kilt, with a ceremonial beard adorning his chin, while his attire is completed by the traditional bull's tail. The two statues are accompanied by a number of statues of queens, led by the Great Royal Wife "Tiye", along with statues of Princess "Isis" and the Queen Mother "Mutemwiya". The sides of the throne are decorated with the "sema-tawy" scene, which symbolizes the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, with remains of original colors still visible on some of the decorative elements.
It is worth noting that the Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple Conservation Project included many works, most notably the restoration, reassembly and re-erection of a pair of seated quartzite statues at the entrance of the second pylon, as well as the re-erection of two standing royal quartzite statues at the northern gate of the temple precinct. Rescuing these dismantled antiquities, extracting them from silt and salty water and returning them to their original locations was made possible by the implementation of a comprehensive groundwater-lowering system, which helped lower the level by about three meters and allowed them to be preserved and reassembled safely.
In addition, 280 statues and statue fragments of the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet were found, documented and restored, and are currently awaiting display in the temple's columned courtyard. Two limestone sphinx statues were also discovered and rescued, and work is under way to restore them, in addition to developing a comprehensive plan for the management and protection of the site.
The mortuary temple of King Amenhotep III, known as the Temple of Millions of Years, was built during the first half of the 14th century BC over the 39 years of his reign. It is the largest of the mortuary temples and the richest in its architectural elements and furnishings. The temple collapsed as a result of a violent earthquake in 1200 BC, and its remains were later used as a quarry, before its ruins were affected by floods that gradually covered them with layers of Nile silt over time.
Of the temple's features, nothing remained standing in its original position except the two colossal statues of King Amenhotep III at the entrance to the ruined temple precinct, known as the Colossi of Memnon. The rest of the antiquities were destroyed, submerged in salty water and surrounded by fire-prone vegetation, in addition to threats of encroachment and vandalism. In the 19th century, a number of antiquities collectors and art lovers seized many pieces from the temple ruins.
