Colossi Of Memnon: Gigantic Stone Statues Guarding The Temple Of Pharaoh Amenhotep III
AncientPages.com - For the last 3,400 years, since 1350 B.C. two gigantic stone statues known as the Colossi of Memnon have been guarding the temple of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who was worshiped as a god-on-earth both before and after his departure from this world.
The massive statues, each about 20 meters high resemble Amenhotep III himself. They got their name after one of the statues, the right one to the north was damaged in an earthquake.
However, these are not the only massive statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep! In 2014, archaeologists unearthed two more statues of the pharaoh. The new statues of the pharaoh join a pair of already famous giants at the temple known as the Colossi of Memnon - two 16-meter-high images of King Amenhotep III seated on his throne, also made of quartzite.
Strabo, a Greek historian and geographer of the 1st century recorded an earthquake in 27 BC that shattered the northern colossus, causing the upper section to fall away. For some reason, after it was damaged, the statue would emit strange sounds in the morning, possibly related to the heat of the Sun.
Ancient Greeks tried to find an explanation for the sound and looked to the story of Memnon by Homer.
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.
However, the damage to the statue created a fissure in the rock which made it "sing" or "whistle" every morning at dawn. It is thought that this was caused by the evaporation of dew inside the porous rock, but the sounds led to the birth of the legend of the "Vocal Memnon.
According to the legend, hearing the sound brought good luck and it was believed that the statue was an oracle. When this became known, known outside of Egypt, and a constant stream of visitors, including several Roman Emperors, came to marvel at the statues.
The last recorded reliable mention of the sound dates from 196. Later in the Roman era, the upper tiers of sandstone were added and the sound vanished.
See also:
Mysterious Enormous Underground Labyrinth Of Egypt Holds Secrets Kept From The Outside World
Palermo Stone: Oldest History Book Of Ancient Egypt
Not only are the statues very high, they are also very heavy. Each of the statues weighs around 700 tons. They are made from blocks of quartzite sandstone which were quarried at el-Gabal el-Ahmar (near modern-day Cairo) and transported 675 km (420 mi) overland to Thebes (Luxor).
The temple of Pharaoh Amenhotep III is today completely destroyed. It was first ruined by floodwaters and later cannibalized for its stone. Both statues are damaged as well, lacking their faces and tall royal crowns. Yet, these ancient statues are still very impressive and their presence attests to the greatness of our ancestors. Ancient Egypt simply refuses to be forgotten.
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
More From Ancient Pages
-
Thousands Of Cannonballs Discovered In Southern India
Archaeology | Dec 23, 2015
-
Cartography Shows That The Isthmus Of Tehuantepec Was Used As An Inter-Oceanic Passage In The 16th Century
Archaeology | Oct 21, 2022
-
Researchers reconstructed face of oldest pharaonic mummy ‘Kent’
News | Sep 1, 2015
-
On This Day In History: Vlad III Dracula Regained Throne Of Wallachia For The Third Time – On Nov 26, 1476
News | Nov 26, 2016
-
Ukko: Karelian-Finnish God Of Thunderstorms, Harvest, Patron Of Crops And Cattle
Featured Stories | Apr 2, 2020
-
Unique Medieval Bronze Buckle Of A Snake Devouring A Frog-Like Creature Found In Brno, Czech Republic
Archaeology | Dec 13, 2023
-
Mystery Of Ancient Magnetic Potbelly Statues In Mesoamerica Revealed – But Something Is Still Wrong
Archaeology | Jul 30, 2019
-
Secrets Of The Bible: Codex Zacynthius – Hidden Text In New Testament May Soon Be Uncovered
Biblical Mysteries | Oct 7, 2014
-
120,000-Year-Old Human Footprints Discovered In Saudi Arabia
Archaeology | Sep 18, 2020
-
Buddha Statues With Broken Arms, Legs And Without Heads Unearthed In Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Archaeology | Apr 22, 2020
-
The ‘Stonehenge Calendar’ Is Much More Modern Than Previously Thought – Scientists Say
Archaeoastronomy | Mar 24, 2023
-
2,500-year-old Saka settlement found in Lake Issyk-Kul: could this be where St Matthew is buried?
Civilizations | Sep 4, 2015
-
Evidence People Lived In Australian Desert 50,000 Years Earlier Than Previously Thought
Archaeology | Sep 22, 2018
-
Neanderthals Changed Ecosystems 125,000 Years Ago
Archaeology | Dec 16, 2021
-
Ancient Egyptians Were Familiar With Advanced Ink Technology 2,000 Years Ago – Copper Papyri Reveals
Ancient Technology | Nov 13, 2017
-
Ancient Alaskans Were Freshwater Fishers – Earliest Evidence Found
Archaeology | Jun 19, 2023
-
Ancient Roman Wooden Sewn Boat Unearthed In Croatia
Archaeology | May 3, 2020
-
Giant 4,500-Year-Old Axe Grinding Site Discovered In Scotland
Archaeology | Dec 13, 2022
-
Churning Of The Ocean: Great Hindu Story Of Creation From Mahabharata And Purana
Featured Stories | Jun 16, 2018
-
How Did Vikings Celebrate Yule – The Winter Solstice?
Ancient Traditions And Customs | Dec 17, 2020