Archaeological Discoveries in the Mortuary Temple of King Amenhotep III

The Egyptian-European expedition discovered a huge statue of King Amenhotep III (1390-1352 BC), who was the father of the first monotheist king, Akhenaton, and grandfather of the Golden King Tutankhamun. These discoveries have been made in the middle of archaeological excavations in the mortuary temple of King Amenhotep III in Kom al Haytan in Luxor’s West Bank. The statue is carved with alabaster and shows the king sitting, wearing a royal headdress, the “nams”, and with the beard properly decorated.

King Amenhotep III (1390-1352 BC)

It is believed that this statue is one of two statues that were located at the entrance of the third edifice of the Amenhotep’s temple, which is located 200 meters away from the Colossi of Memnon. These two statues were thought to have been crushed during the massive earthquake that hit the country in the Roman era, and which ruined all the temples and structures with the exception of the Colossus of Memnon.

Colossi of Memnon (Luxor Sightseeing)

The expedition also found the head of an idol 28.5 cm in length; this head depicts an idol wearing a wig which is part of the beard which has been found and that is in good condition. A text of 25 lines written in hieroglyphic letters that lists the name and the number of temples built by Amenhotep III has also been discovered. The plate is 7.40 m x 9 m.

King Tutankhamun Sarcophagus

A stroll through the streets of Cairo in Egypt is like a trip back in time, are the old markets, such as the Khan El-Khalili, an old "Success" dating from late 1300. Just outside the city are the plains of Giza, where the smiling Sphinx near the pyramids lies Huge Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, builders of the Old Kingdom pharaohs who had perfected his art. Not notable Egyptian Museum, which houses the largest collection of world of Egyptian artifacts, including the coffin and the burial of King Tutankhamen, as well as the famous mummies found in the cache at Deir el Bahari noticeable in the 1870's.

King Tutankhamun Sarcophagus

Of course, the city's history neither begins nor ends with the pharaohs, and, indeed, Cairo today is the largest city in Africa and one of the largest cities in the world. It is a city of contrasts, full of modern technology, however, in a land that is forever linked to its ancient past own.


The diversity of fascinating places and subjects makes visits Cairo one of the main reasons for visitors to travel to Egypt. While there are many different regions or districts of the city itself, Cairo travel in general, touch on a few popular and historic areas. For example, the oldest neighborhoods in the city including "Old Cairo" and "Islamic Cairo" sectors tend to be accessed by traveling from Cairo to enjoy. This is because they contain the Citadel historic mosques and medieval structures and the Khan El Khalili. Of course, the most modern areas have their attractions as well, and contain some areas old and popular, such as the museum, many well known hotels and major transportation hubs. These neighborhoods also tend to be part of tours of Cairo, in particular the "Midan Tahrir" and "Midan Ramses."

Khan El-Khalili

Outside the city, most trips from Cairo to take aim at Giza, and the suburban cities of Gezira and Zamalek, where many hotels and shops can be enjoyed.

Besides visiting the streets of the city, famous buildings and monuments, Natives enjoy gourmet cuisine and meeting the friendly inhabitants of the city, most trips from Cairo also includes a ride on the Nile River are beautiful No and graceful "Felucca", with sails filled and different routes that lead visitors to many parts of the city. There are also evening cruises to dinner along the river too, and this makes a wonderful way to see the twinkling lights of this city that is home to more than sixteen million people!

Felucca

Sarcophagus [sar.coph.a.gus] noun /särˈkäfəɡəs/

A stone coffin, typically adorned with a sculpture or inscription and associated with the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Rome, and Greece.

Feluca [fe·luc·ca]   noun /fəˈlo͞okə,-ˈləkə/

a small vessel propelled by oars or lateen "a triangular sail on a long yard at an angle of 45° to the mast." sails or both, used on the Nile and formerly more widely in the Mediterranean region.

Source: www.tutankhamon.org

Egypt Archaeologists Find Statue of Tutankhamun's Grandad

CAIRO – Egyptian archaeologists unearthed part a 3,000-year-old statue of the pharaoh Amenhotep III, believed to be the grandfather of the young King Tutankhamun, antiquities chief Zahi Hawass said on Saturday.

"The statue was found near the northern entrance of Amenhotep III's temple and depicts the king sitting down on a throne with Amun, the chief deity," Hawass said.

"The red-granite top half of the statue was discovered at the site of the Amenhotep III's funerary temple in the southern city of Luxor," Hawass said.

The newly-discovered artifact which measures 130 centimeters (51 inches) in height and 95 cm (37 inches) in width is "fantastic... because of the details of the facial features," Hawass said.

Archaeologists believe the full statue is around three meters (nearly 10 feet) tall.

In recent years, a large quantity of red-granite statue pieces have been uncovered at Amenhotep III's funerary temple at Kom al-Hitan on Luxor's west bank.

Zahi Hawass, head of the Egyptian Supreme Council for Antiquities, center, checks Tutankhamun's mummy at his tomb in Luxor, before exposing it to X-ray to assess the need for restoration. Wednesday's research also was an attempt to discover the cause of death for Tutankhamun, who ruled for nine years before dying at age 17

Amenhotep III ruled Egypt between 1390 and 1352 BC.

He was almost certainly the grandfather of Tutankhamun, according to the results of DNA tests and computerized tomography (CT) scans on the famed boy king's mummy announced by scientists on February 17.

A 3,000-year-old statue of the pharaoh Amenhotep III, believed to be the grandfather of the young King Tutankhamu, unearthed by archaeologists (source: Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (ESCA))