Luxor, Egypt
Ancient Egyptian statues
Two seated giants of Amenhotep III have watched the road into Luxor's West Bank since around 1350 BC. Each is roughly 18 metres tall, hands resting on knees, facing east towards the Nile. They once flanked the gateway of the king's mortuary temple, the largest in the Theban necropolis; the temple is long gone, so the pair now stand alone in the fields and make the natural first stop on any West Bank day. The statues are carved from quartzite hauled from Gebel el-Ahmar near Cairo, and small figures of Queen Tiye and the king's mother Mutemwiya stand beside his legs. Greek visitors took the northern colossus for the mythical hero Memnon, and Roman tourists left more than a hundred inscriptions in Greek and Latin on it between AD 20 and 250, which you can still pick out on the legs. Locals call them el-Colossat or es-Salamat. Behind the statues an archaeological mission has spent years on the temple site and has raised further statues of the king, which gives a sense of how much once stood here.
Fifteen minutes is enough, so fold it into a trip to the Valley of the Kings or Deir el-Bahari. Early morning is best: the sun lights the faces from the east and the tour buses have not arrived yet. There is no shade, so bring water and a hat in summer. Hawkers gather by the parking area; a polite no works.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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AttractionLuxor, Egypt
