The colossi of Memnon is the site of king Amenophis III’s mortuary temple (18th dynasty, 1380 BC). It was one of the great temples built in Luxor. It is on the west bank but unfortunately, virtually nothing remains of it beyond the clossi of Memnon.
Although these two huge statues represent king Amenophis III, they are wrongly known as the colossi of Memnon.
When Egypt became a part of the Roman empire, the Romans saw that the facial features of Amenophis III are a bit like the facial features of Agamemnon of the heroes of Trojan war, so they called it the colossi of Memnon and wrongly known under this name till no a days.
These two statues were connected with an old myth called the vocal of Memnon or The singing statue at the colossi of Memnon.
When the Romans used to visit the site they heard sound coming from both of the two statues, so they thought that Agamemnon is happy whistling his mother goddess Aurora the dawn goddess. But after restoring the two statues, this sound stopped coming and they thought that Agamemnon is no more happy that’s why he stopped whistling his mother.
But the real reason that made this sound happens, as after one of the earthquakes both of the two statues were cracked so due to the cool wind followed by the hot wind during the dawn time, it was the real cause of making this sound happens and after restoring the two statues and refilling all the cracks, the sound stopped coming and back at this time they thought that Agamemnon is sad that’s why he stopped whistling.
Both of the colossi of Memnon are reaching a height of 20 meters and they were once flanking the impressive entrance gate way of the mortuary temple of king Amenophis III. There are two little statutes of two ladies to the right and the left of the legs of the pharaoh, they belong to his wife and his mother