Saving the twin statues of Amenhotep III in Kom El Hetan

Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim says: “The Egyptian European mission working on Amenhotep III temple in Kom El Hettan, started the process of moving 2 statues of Amenhotep III after discovering them in a plot of land next to the temple on the west bank”

 The Minister referred that those two statues are considered the largest of Amenhotep III. Each of the limestone statues are of 14 meters high, based on 4 meters high base. The statues represented the King standing at the northern entrances of the temple. They were discovered in 1933 then re-discovered in 2010 and recently they were submerged in irrigation water in the agriculture area where also a water pipe exploded which exposed them to great danger and required a quick intervention to safe and move the statues.

The Minister said that the moving process will take a week from now and this event will help in returning tourism to Egypt and Luxor in particular.

Dr. Mohamed Abd El Maqsoud, Deputy Head of the Egyptian Antiquities department and the head of the team, said that the moving project is considered the biggest ongoing projects in Luxor at the moment.

A German team participating in the project which is funded by the German side to move the statues 60 meters to make sure they are safe then the restoration project will start which will include rejoining more than 20 blocks to the statues.

There are inscriptions on the base of one of the statues in addition to the back of the statue which bears the name of the King whilst the other statue shows the King wearing the white crown of the South. The second statue is in better condition and no fractures on the face.

Abd El Maqsoud added “The completion of the restoration project is expected in a year’s time.”

 

For more on the discoveries in the same site please check our links below

 A statue of Amenhotep III was found: The largest so far  

 Revealing the newly re-erected colossal statue of Amenhotep III in the Funerary Temple of the King on west bank 

Amenhotep III statue found on west bank,Luxor

New Statue found on west bank,Luxor Alabaster Statue of Amenhotep III found on west bankAmenhotep III lost eye is back in Luxor

The Missing parts are here, 130 years later 

New discovery by Amenhotep III Temple on West Bank, Luxor The International Research Conference “In Search for New Concepts and Technologies for Conservation and Preservation of The Colossi of Memnon & The Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III”