Egypt State Information Service (Cairo)
2 December 2011
A huge statue of King Amenhotep III has been discovered in the Upper Egyptian city of Luxor.
The 13-meters-high quartzite statue was unearthed during excavations carried out by the mission of the Supreme Council for Antiquities (SCA) in the area of King Amenhotep III Temple in Luxor’s western bank.
SCA Chief, Dr. Mustafa Ameen said the 100-ton colored statue is one of two statues that had been erected at the entrance of the temple in the area of Qurna in Luxor’s western bank.
Excavations have been going on in the area since seven months.
The two statues might have been damaged by the 27 B.C. earthquake and they have been buried under-earth since then, he added.
On the other hand, the Egyptian-US archeological mission started on Thursday examining the area of Tel Edfu to resume archeological excavations that will last for two months.
Muhamed Zenan, the director of archeological department in Edfu, said the mission includes a number of experts from Chicago University alongside with Egyptian peers.
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