Ramesses II Colossus Restored to Luxor Temple

LUXOR, EGYPT—Ahram Online reports that a colossal black granite statue of King Ramesses II has been restored and re-erected at Luxor Temple’s first pylon. The statue, damaged in an earthquake in the fourth century A.D., was discovered in 57 pieces in 1958. “These blocks were removed and placed [in the interim period] in wooden shelters on the first pylon’s western side,” said Mostafa Waziri, head of Luxor Antiquities. The restored sculpture stands 36 feet tall, and shows Ramesses II wearing a double crown and standing with his left leg slightly forward. For more, go to “Egypt’s Immigrant Elite.”