Egypt restores massive statue of King Thutmose II
Within the scope of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities’ efforts to restore monuments and paintings at the Karnak Temple complex in Luxor, the Supreme Council of Antiquities completed the restoration work of the statue of King Thutmose II on the southern facade of Karnak.
CAIRO — Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced Aug. 22 the completion of the restoration works of the statue of King Thutmose II sitting inside the Karnak Temple in Luxor, far south of Cairo.
According to the ministry, the restoration of the statue of Thutmose II falls within the framework of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' plan to restore and develop archaeological sites across the country, especially in the governorates of Upper Egypt.
Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mustafa al-Waziri explained in a press statement Aug. 22 that a number of statues and paintings in the Karnak Temple are currently being restored.
He noted that the statue of King Thutmose II is about 10 and 1/2 meters high, made of quartzite and was commissioned by the king himself to be carved in the Red Mountain quarry. The king’s son, King Thutmose III, moved it to its current location in the southern facade of the eighth edifice of the Karnak Temple. This is inscribed on the statue's dorsal column, Waziri added.
