My Statue is Grateful
Remains of the mortuary temple of King Amenhotep III, undoubtedly one of the most magnificent and largest mortuary temples ever built. Evidence of this can be seen in the two giant statues of King Amenhotep III. It seems that the temple was destroyed by later kings, and all that remains are parts of the temple’s foundations and a mortuary stele.
The statue is large, about 10 meters long, and two massive statues called “My Statue” once adorned the front facade of the temple before the main building. The name Memnon was given to it during the Greek period, attributed to the Trojan hero, son of Eros.
The two statues depict King Amenhotep III and are about 21 meters tall. They were carved from a single block of stone. The northern statue broke during a strong earthquake in 27 BC and, together with the wind, produced a sound resembling a high-pitched tone. This became known as the “Song of Memnon.” The Roman Emperor Hadrian and his wife traveled to see and hear this marvel. During the era of Emperor Septimius Severus, the cracks in this statue were filled with materials, and it no longer sang.
The statues show the king with his hands resting on his knees, looking eastward toward the Nile. Each statue stands on a huge granite base representing the throne, and on both sides of the throne at his feet are engravings interpreted as symbols of monotheism. The king is accompanied by smaller statues of the great royal wife Tiy and his mother. The German mission recently restored these two statues, as traces of original paint were found on them.
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