It is believed that the mortuary temple of Amenophis III, the Memnoneion, is the largest ancient Egyptian temple ever built. It is located between Medinet Habu and Ramesseum on the western side of the Nile, the Thebes West, of Luxor.
A few years after the construction of the temple, an earthquake took place during the reign of Merenptah, which ruined a large part of the Memnon Colosse Temple. Later, the remains were used as a quarry for other temples.
In 27 BC a second earthquake took place and what remained were some remains of walls and the two colossal statues of Amenophis III known today. They are about 18m tall and weigh almost 1000 tons. Two small figures representing the mother and the wife of Amenophis III. were carved into the legs of the statues.
A Greek storyteller reported that one of the two statues made noises, especially with the rising of the sun. These sounds were probably caused by the wind blowing through the small crevices of the statue. These sounds gave the statues the name “Memnon”. Memnon is a legendary figure in Greek myths, who was killed in the Trojan War.
The Greek travelers assumed from those sounds that the spirit of the murdered man had encased himself in the statue and greeted his mother, the goddess Eos, every morning. Later, restoration works were carried out on the seated statues and with them, the sounds disappeared.
The original Memnon Colosse temple area is about 700 x 550m and was surrounded by a wall. Furthermore, there were several pylons, colossal statues, and sphinxes that marked the way to the “Holy of Holies”. Since the Memnon temple complex is mainly destroyed, it is difficult to imagine what the original looked like.
These two gigantic Memnon statues, 59 feet tall, are the first sight that greets visitors taking the ferry across from the East Bank. They became famous in ancient times for a mysterious sound that emanates from one of them every time the sun rises.
Scientists now believe that this sound was caused by air flowing through pores in the stone as it warmed in the sunlight, but there is no way to confirm this as the sound stopped centuries ago.
Regardless of its cause, the sound was the source of the statues’ name, as the Greeks believed that the statues came from the immortal Memnon. In reality, they are statues of Amenophis III and his wife Tiye, who guarded the entrance to a large temple complex that some believe rivaled Karnak in size. Amenophis III, Who ruled during the New Kingdom at the height of Egypt’s historical power, is considered one of the most prolific builders of ancient Egypt.
Don’t miss the chance and come along on the next Nile cruise ship and enjoy the best sights of Egypt. Discover Luxor and the historical sites and much more through a round trip or a beautiful Nile cruise aboard the Nile cruise ship.
