They’re called the Colossi of Memnon. Crafted for Pharaoh Amenhotep III sometime around 1350 BC. They stand at the edge of the necropolis in Thebes, not far from Luxor where a modern city lies.
photo credit: wikipedia
The statues show the features of a once mighty Pharaoh seated staring out across the life giving Nile as his wife Tiy and mother Mutemwiya sit nearby.
photo credit: wikipedia
They were crafted under the brutal and revered sun over the course of an unknown period of time before they were delivered to the edge of the necropolis to guard the remains of those who would rest eternally therein.
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Centuries ago, people thought that the high-pitched noise emanating from the Colossi was the sound of a mother, Eos, crying for her son, Memnon.
photo credit: memphistours
And legend has it there is one more thing about these statues that is worth noting. It’s said they can speak and even sing. Accounts vary on what the sound is like, but it has been likened to everything from an adult man speaking to the striking of a lyre.
Not only are the statues very high, they are also very heavy. Each of the statues weighs around 700 ton.They are made made from blocks of quartzite sandstone which was quarried at el-Gabal el-Ahmar and transported 675 km (420 mi) overland to Thebes (Luxor).
