Colossi of Memnon

The Colossi of Memnon are two huge seated statues of the pharaoh Amenhotep III (reigned around 1390–1352 BC) on the West Bank at Luxor. Carved from quartzite sandstone and standing about 18 metres high, they once guarded the entrance to his mortuary temple, the largest ever built in Thebes. The temple stood on the Nile floodplain and was ruined by floods, earthquakes and later stone-robbing, leaving the two statues alone among the fields.

After an earthquake in 27 BC cracked the northern statue, it began to make a sound at dawn, probably as the stone warmed and dried. Greek and Roman visitors decided it was Memnon, the hero of the Trojan War, greeting his mother Eos, the dawn. The ‘singing statue’ became one of the most famous sights of the Roman world, and visitors carved their names and verses on its legs. The sound stopped after Roman repairs, traditionally credited to Emperor Septimius Severus around AD 199.

What to see

• The two colossi: badly weathered faces, but the scale is impressive and the thrones still carry carved figures of Amenhotep’s mother and his wife Queen Tiye, plus Nile-god reliefs on the sides.
• Greek and Latin inscriptions left by ancient tourists on the northern statue.
• The temple site behind: an international team has been excavating Amenhotep III’s temple (Kom el-Hettan) for years and has raised several restored statues there. The working site is not usually open to visitors, but some pieces can be seen from the edge.

Visiting tips

• The colossi stand beside the main road and can be seen freely. Most people stop for 15–20 minutes on the way to or from the Valley of the Kings, Deir el-Bahari or Medinet Habu.
• Early morning gives soft light and fewer people. Late afternoon is good for photographs too.
• Expect souvenir sellers in the lay-by. A polite ‘no thank you’ usually works.
• There is no shade, so bring a hat and water in summer.

Getting there

The statues are on the main road into the Theban necropolis, a short drive from the West Bank ferry landing and on the route to the Valley of the Kings. You can cross the Nile by public ferry or by road over the Luxor bridge, then take a taxi or hire a driver for a West Bank circuit. Cycling is popular in the cooler months. The site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis.

Last checked October 2026. Sources: mota.gov.eg, theworldtravelguy.com, encounterstravel.com.