An Egyptian archaeologist was left speechless after a “treasure” statue belonging to the famous Pharaoh Amenhotep III was discovered in the Theban Necropolis.
The 9th Egyptian Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty reigned during a period of unprecedented prosperity and splendor, where ancient Egypt flourished economically, culturally and artistically.
The huge mortuary temple of Amenhotep III on the west bank of the Nile was at that time the largest religious site in Thebes, but unfortunately the king chose the site for its construction too close to the delta and had not yet been built. 200 years later, it was just a pile of ruins.
Much of the stone blocks were reused by later Pharaohs for their construction projects. The statues of Memnon – two colossal, 18 meter tall stone statues that Amenhotep erected in front of his mortuary temple – are the only surviving remains of the complex.
Egyptology professor Joann Fletcher detailed how experts began uncovering the secrets in Odyssey’s documentary series “The Valley of the Kings: The Golden Age of the Egyptians.”
“We may not have a time machine, but 15 years of work has begun to reveal some of the temple’s former glory,” Ms Fletcher said. It’s great to hold hands with Pharaoh, it feels very real.”
The giant statue in the temple’s second gate tower flanks one of the best preserved statues of Queen Tiye. She was the “great royal wife” of King Amenhotep III, the most powerful emperor in ancient Egyptian history. She was also the mother of Akhenaten and the grandmother of Tutankhamun.
“These massive statues are not just a memorial, each statue is worshiped to ensure the immortality of the king’s soul” – Professor Fletcher said.
The archaeologist was then left speechless after the team pulled back the cloth to reveal one of their most astonishing finds.
Regaining his composure, Professor Fletcher said: “That is the head of Amenhotep III, 3 meters high, carved from the finest white plaster. I do not know what to say. Over the years, I have seen many of his portraits, but few are as stunning as these. Looking at his nose, this is the wonderfully sculpted face of Amenhotep himself. I’ve never seen anything like it.”.
Amenhotep III is the pharaoh with more statues extant today than any other Egyptian pharaoh, with over 250 statues of him having been discovered and identified. These statues were created during his lifetime, and they provide a series of portraits that cover the entire length of his reign.
“With hundreds of statues like these, Amenhotep III multiplied his image as Egypt’s most powerful god, bringing life and light to the world. Whoever controls Egypt’s religion controls Egypt,” the professor said.
