Cape Town – Ever wondered what the tallest statues in Africa are? A report by Nigerian online news website Pulse has listed the seven tallest statues on the continent, and they’re pretty incredible.
African Renaissance Monument (Senegal)
The African Renaissance Monument, which stands on top of one of the twin hills of Collines des Mamelles, outside Dakar, Senegal, is the tallest statue in Africa, standing tall at 49m. Completed in 2010, the sculpture of a man, woman and child stands as a symbol of defiance and future prosperity, writes Culture Trip.
The Great Sphinx of Giza (Egypt)
According to Pulse Nigeria, the Sphinx of Giza or just the Sphinx, is a 20.21m-tall limestone statue of a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. Facing directly from west to east, it stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt.
Colossi of Memnon (Egypt)
The Colossi of Memnon are two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who reigned in Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. The figures rise 18m high and weigh 720 tons each.Both are carved from single blocks of sandstone, according to the website World History.org.
Queen Moremi Statue of Liberty (Nigeria)
The Moremi Statue of Liberty located in Ile Ife, Osun State, was built in honour of Queen Moremi Ajasoro, a heroine who saved her people from the snare of oppressors and helped them win the battle against their enemies. The history of Moremi Ajasoro is one of the most important in the history of the Yoruba people, according to the website Travel Waka.com.
Statue of Ramesses II (Egypt)
The Statue of Ramesses II is a 3,200-year-old figure of Ramesses II, depicting him standing. According to reports, it was discovered in 1820 broken in six pieces, and previous attempts to restore it to its original height proved unsuccessful until 1955. It now stands at 11m tall in Giza, writes Pulse.
Nelson Mandela statue (South Africa)
The 9m-tall bronze statue cost an estimated R8-million and is located at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. It is the sixth tallest statue in Africa, constructed in honour of the late former South African president and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela in June 2013.
Jesus de Greatest (Nigeria)
Made of white marble and standing at 8.53m tall, the Jesus de Greatest statue is situated at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Abajah village in Imo State.