Colossi of Memnon

The Colossi of Memnon are two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III that stand in front of the ruined Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III, the largest temple in the Theban Necropolis. They were well known to ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as early modern travelers and Egyptologists, and have stood since 1350 BC. The statues contain 107 Roman-era inscriptions in Greek and Latin dated between AD 20 and 250; many of these inscriptions on the northernmost statue refer to the Greek mythological king Memnon, whom the statue was mistakenly thought to represent at the time.