PARTS OF GIANT PHARAOH STATUES DISCOVERED

CAIRO, OCTOBER 18 /SRNA/ - Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed the remains of two royal statues following their accidental discovery in the Nile Delta, at least one of which depicts Pharaoh Ramesses II, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said.

The discovery was made by chance in the village of Behbeit el-Hagar, in Gharbia Governorate, after a local resident found an inscribed stone block on his property and notified the authorities.

Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy later visited the site, directed archaeologists to the location, and rewarded the man and his wife for reporting the discovery, RT reported.

Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the first find was the head of Ramesses II, measuring 1.6 metres in height and featuring a double crown symbolising the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Part of the statue’s back pillar was also found, bearing an inscription with one of the pharaoh’s royal titles. Archaeologists estimate that the complete monument, including its base, may have stood about 8.5 metres tall.

The second find consists of part of another royal statue, measuring 2.4 metres in length, which is also believed to depict Ramesses II.

The statue is missing its legs and base, but its head is well preserved, and its facial features resemble those of the first statue. Archaeologists also discovered a 1.3-metre-high block of pink granite bearing hieroglyphic inscriptions containing two of the pharaoh’s titles, including “King of Upper and Lower Egypt” and “Son of Ra.”

The ministry said that archaeologists are continuing to study the artifacts and that their exact age has not yet been determined. Nevertheless, the discovery clearly points to a connection with Ramesses II, who ruled Egypt from 1279 to 1213 BC.

In February 2024, archaeologists discovered the upper part of a statue of the pharaoh in Minya Governorate, nearly a century after its lower part was found in 1930. The restored statue, standing about 6.7 metres tall, was re-erected early this year.