A few weeks ago Barbara and I were in Luxor and each day on our way to various places we drove past Luxor Temple and each time I wondered what the people who seemed to be working there were doing. There seemed to be various men and women still examining parts of the grounds and there seemed to be ongoing excavations.
Well apparently these archaeologists at Luxor Temple have unearthed a 13m high statue of Amenhotep III, one of a pair flanking the entrance to his funeral temple.
It consists of seven large quartzite blocks and still lacks a head. Archaeologists expect to find its twin in the next digging season. It must be getting too hot now to start extensive digging.
Amenhotep III, the 14th century BC grandfather of Tutankhamun, ruled over an empre from Nubia to Syria. The 3,400 year old temple, one of the largest on the Nile in Luxor is thought to have been destroyed by an earthquake in 27BC.
So if you are visiting Luxor Temple, which you should do on your Nile Cruise, keep an eye out for this new discovery.
