The Weeping Memnon Colossi

The Weeping Memnon Colossi

Introduction: Originally statues in front of the temple of Pharaoh "Amenhotep III," but the temple itself has disappeared. The massive statues are 20 meters tall and have been heavily eroded, with their faces no longer identifiable. The seated statues were constructed by Amenhotep III during the peak of the New Kingdom. Behind the statues was originally his mortuary temple, but later pharaohs dismantled this structure and used its stones for their own buildings. By the time of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, the buildings had been completely destroyed. People believed the stone statues resembled the figure of Memnon from Greek mythology, so they named the statues the Colossi of Memnon. Earthquakes during the Roman era caused cracks to appear in the statues. When the wind blew, the statues seemed to emit a singing sound, which was considered quite magical. After repairs, the statues never sang again.

Alexandria, Egypt