Colossi of Memnon

Colossi of Memnon

The Collossi of Memnon, Luxor, July 17, 1994

The Collossi of Memnon are statues of Pharaoh Amenophis II (Amenhotep II), better known as the father of Akhenaten, the heretic-king. The Greeks heard the wind blowing past the statues and thought that it was their hero, Memnon, speaking to them, hence the English name. These statues are from the New Kingdom era and are located between the Nile River and the Valley of the Nobles on Luxor's West Bank.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism adds the following about the Colossi of Memnon:

The north statues, of Amenhotep's mother Mutemuia and Queen Tiy, were shattered by an earthquake. The fallen remains produced a musical sound under certain weather conditions. The Egyptians thought that this music came directly from the gods. To be granted a song meant that you were very much in favor of the gods. Visitors came from miles around to hear the music, including Emperor Hadrian, in 130 A.D. The music stopped in 199 A.D. when the statue was repaired.