Egypt restores colossal statues of pharaoh 3,200 years after earthquake

Egypt on Sunday unveiled two restored statues of a pharaoh in Luxor 3,200 years after they were toppled in an earthquake, in the latest archaeological event aiming to draw tourists to the country.

The giant alabaster statues, known as the Colossi of Memnon, were reassembled in a project lasting 20 years. They represent Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt about 3,400 years ago.

“Today we are celebrating, actually, the finishing and the erecting of these two colossal statues,” Mohamed Ismail, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, told AP before a ceremony on Sunday.

Mr Ismail said the statues were of great significance to Luxor, a city known for its ancient temples and other antiquities. They are also an attempt to “revive how this funerary temple of king Amenhotep III looked like a long time ago”, he said.

Amenhotep III, one of the most prominent pharaohs, ruled during the 500 years of the New Kingdom, the most prosperous time for ancient Egypt. The pharaoh, whose mummy is on display at a Cairo museum, ruled between 1390 and 1353BC, a peaceful period known for its prosperity and construction, including the temple where the Colossi of Memnon are located.

The colossi were toppled by a strong earthquake in about 1200BC that also destroyed the pharaoh's funerary temple, Mr Ismail said.

The statues were fragmented and partly