# Colossi of Memnon Guide: History, Tickets & What to See Source: https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/colossi-of-memnon Language: en # Colossi of Memnon تمثالا ممنون The colossi are the best-known survivors of Amenhotep III’s temple, whose remains extend well beyond the roadside view. Think of the statues as a doorway into a much larger story. Amenhotep III’s temple was one of the great royal temple complexes of the west bank; excavation and conservation have recovered more of its sculpture and layout. Published sources · confirm changing details before travel **Already at the site?**Keep the visit sequence and details to look for close to hand. [Open the field guide](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/colossi-of-memnon/visit) In one paragraph Think of the statues as a doorway into a much larger story. Amenhotep III’s temple was one of the great royal temple complexes of the west bank; excavation and conservation have recovered more of its sculpture and layout. Time needed: 15–30 minutes · Best time of day: Any time — it is a roadside stop and most people pass it on the way to somewhere else [Why Pharaohs Stopped Building Pyramids](https://luxor101.com/journal/why-pharaohs-stopped-building-pyramids) **Type**: Monument **Bank**: West bank **Period**: New Kingdom **Principal deity**: Amun **Time needed**: 15–30 minutes **Best time of day**: Any time — it is a roadside stop and most people pass it on the way to somewhere else **Heat exposure**: Medium _· Expect exposed sections. Continuous shade or a seated rest area has not been verified; plan a separate break._ **Walking**: Easy _· Check the distance from the vehicle drop-off to the permitted viewing area and back. Seeing the two statues does not establish access to the wider excavated temple; no measured accessible approach is recorded._ **Guide**: Optional **Ticket**: Price currently unavailable **Photography**: rules not verified **Current access**: Current access not verified Dashed boxes mark information we have not verified. Check essential prices, hours and access arrangements with the official venue before travelling. FIG. 1 — COLOSSI OF MEMNON · FIGURES & ABSENCE ## Two sentinels. The memory of a temple. A stylised view of the seated colossi, with a separate diagram of the vanished temple’s footprint. The figures and remains are schematic, not a reconstruction to scale. ILLUSTRATED FIELD STUDY 1\. The small figures at the king’s legs Select a number to explore a detail here. 1. [The small figures at the king’s legs](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/colossi-of-memnon#lookfor-colossi-small-figures) 2. [Tourist graffiti in Greek and Latin](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/colossi-of-memnon#lookfor-colossi-ancient-graffiti) 3. [The temple in the field behind them](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/colossi-of-memnon#lookfor-colossi-temple-behind) The two seated figures 1\. The small figures at the king’s legs - SOUTHERN COLOSSUS - NORTHERN COLOSSUS Select a number to explore a detail here. 1. [The small figures at the king’s legs](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/colossi-of-memnon#lookfor-colossi-small-figures) 2. [Tourist graffiti in Greek and Latin](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/colossi-of-memnon#lookfor-colossi-ancient-graffiti) The temple behind them 3\. The temple in the field behind them - TEMPLE REMAINS · STUDY Select a number to explore a detail here. 1. [The temple in the field behind them](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/colossi-of-memnon#lookfor-colossi-temple-behind) Text alternative for this figure Two sentinels. The memory of a temple. | Look for this | Where | | --- | --- | | 1. The small figures at the king’s legs | Beside the lower legs of each colossus, and on the sides of both thrones | | 2. Tourist graffiti in Greek and Latin | The lower legs, feet and base of the northern colossus | | 3. The temple in the field behind them | Look west, past the two statues, into the open ground | A stylised view of the seated colossi, with a separate diagram of the vanished temple’s footprint. The figures and remains are schematic, not a reconstruction to scale. Look for this ## Details worth stopping for. Numbers match the plan above. Each entry says where it is, what you will actually see, and how confident anyone can be about what it means. 1. 1 ### The small figures at the king’s legs [Back to the drawing](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/colossi-of-memnon#site-drawing) Beside the lower legs of each colossus, and on the sides of both thrones Standing female figures that barely reach the king’s shin — his wife Tiye and his mother Mutemwia. On the sides of the thrones, two Nile gods pull the papyrus and the lily together around a central sign, knotting Lower and Upper Egypt into one. Fact — the figures and their identification. Interpretation — what Tiye’s prominence on royal monuments means. The difference in scale is the message the sculptor intended. But so is Tiye’s presence at all: Amenhotep III put his wife on his monuments, at this size and in this position, to a degree no king before him had. 2. 2 ### Tourist graffiti in Greek and Latin [Back to the drawing](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/colossi-of-memnon#site-drawing) The lower legs, feet and base of the northern colossus Inscriptions cut and scratched into the stone — names, official titles, dates, and short poems, including verses composed by a woman named Julia Balbilla for the visit of the emperor Hadrian. Fact — the inscriptions, their languages and their content. Tradition — that the sound began after an earthquake in 27 BCE and stopped after a Roman repair; both are reported by ancient authors rather than established by evidence on the statue. These are visitors’ inscriptions — more than a hundred of them — left by people who travelled a very long way to hear a statue make a noise at dawn, and who then wrote their names on it. It is the oldest visitor book in Luxor, and it is worth remembering that they were tourists too. 3. 3 ### The temple in the field behind them [Back to the drawing](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/colossi-of-memnon#site-drawing) Look west, past the two statues, into the open ground Low walls, blocks laid out in rows, re-erected colossi standing further back on the axis, and ranks of black granite statues of a lioness-headed goddess. The flat ground between them is the level the temple floor sat at. The open ground behind the colossi belongs to the archaeological landscape of Amenhotep III’s temple. View only from authorised areas; excavation areas are not necessarily visitor routes. Look closely, photograph only where permitted, and keep hands and bags clear of ancient surfaces. Follow barriers and conservation instructions. FIG. 2 — Who added what ## Who built and changed this place? Explore the rulers connected with this site and the work they left here. [18th Dynasty **Amenhotep III** c.1390–1352 BCE A king whose monumental building programme reshaped Thebes. ](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/pharaohs/amenhotep-iii) The rulers appear in chronological order. Select a name to explore their reign and the monuments connected with it. How to visit ## Plan your visit. ### Tickets No current official admission price was established in our online check. Confirm any charge with the site before visiting. ### Opening hours & timing **Daily hours**: Opening hours not verified **Time needed**: 15–30 minutes **Best time of day**: Any time — it is a roadside stop and most people pass it on the way to somewhere else ### Heat & shade **Heat exposure**: Medium **Shade**: Low **Walking**: Easy **Water on site**: not verified Expect exposed sections. Continuous shade or a seated rest area has not been verified; plan a separate break. ### Photography **Photography**: rules not verified ### Getting there Directly beside the main west-bank road, a few minutes inland from the ferry landing and on the way to everything else — the Ramesseum, Deir el-Bahari and the Valley of the Kings are all further along the same route. It is the first thing most visitors see on the west bank, and it needs no detour at all. **Typical taxi fare**: not verified ### Do you need a guide? Ask about Amenhotep III’s wider temple and its excavation history. A short introduction can add context without requiring a guided stop. [Choosing a guide in Luxor](https://luxor101.com/plan/do-you-need-a-guide) Access ## Check the access details you need. Access depends on the whole route: surfaces, thresholds, distance, shade and facilities. We describe these separately, but have not completed an on-site access audit. Confirm the details you need before visiting. [How we assess accessibility](https://luxor101.com/plan/accessibility) **Ground surface**: Level, immediately beside the road — compacted ground and some loose sand between the road and the statues **Stairs**: Confirm the current path and kerbs between drop-off and the permitted viewing area. **Shade**: Expect exposed sections. Continuous shade or a seated rest area has not been verified; plan a separate break. **Vehicle drop-off**: Current drop-off and any internal transport are unverified. Confirm the location and distance to the entrance before arranging your ride. **Sensory conditions**: The main viewing area is outdoors near the road. Check the approach and traffic conditions; the open setting does not guarantee a quiet or shaded stop. **Claustrophobia**: The main viewing area is outdoors. Confirm the current permitted route. **Distance on foot**: Check the distance from the vehicle drop-off to the permitted viewing area and back. Seeing the two statues does not establish access to the wider excavated temple; no measured accessible approach is recorded. **Confirm before visiting:** Step-free entry · Wheelchair route · Seating · Accessible toilet. Our access descriptions are planning guidance, not an on-site audit. Confirm the route and facilities you need before visiting. Photographs alone cannot establish accessibility. After the reading ## Would a licensed guide help your visit? We do not arrange guides or take booking fees. Our guide explains where local knowledge and historical context can add to a visit, and what to ask before hiring someone. [Do you need a guide in Luxor?](https://luxor101.com/plan/do-you-need-a-guide) Continue reading ## Explore the connections 1–1 / 8 [Temple · West bank ### The Ramesseum Ramesses II’s mortuary temple, largely collapsed — including the colossus that put “Ozymandias” into English. ](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/ramesseum)[Temple · West bank ### Medinet Habu Colour survives here wherever the roof did — on a temple built by a king fighting to hold Egypt together. ](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/medinet-habu)[Museum · East bank ### Luxor Museum A museum that brings objects from ancient Thebes into focus, from royal sculpture to reconstructed temple reliefs. ](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/luxor-museum)[Temple · West bank ### Temple of Hatshepsut Terraces set straight into the cliff at Deir el-Bahari — and a reign that was later chiselled off its own walls. ](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/temple-of-hatshepsut)[God ### Amun The hidden god of Thebes, who became king of the gods and the state god of an empire. ](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/gods/amun)[God ### Sekhmet The lioness — plague and healing held in the same goddess. ](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/gods/sekhmet)[Person ### Amenhotep III A king whose monumental building programme reshaped Thebes. ](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/pharaohs/amenhotep-iii)[Journal ### Why Pharaohs Stopped Building Pyramids New Kingdom kings at Thebes used rock-cut tombs and separate commemorative temples. Landscape, royal tradition and protecting the burial all help explain the change; no single surviving account settles why it happened. ](https://luxor101.com/journal/why-pharaohs-stopped-building-pyramids) Sources & further reading 6 Tier 1 Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — monument and site records Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt) Tier 1 [Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis — World Heritage List inscription and documentation](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/87/) UNESCO World Heritage Centre Online source checked 2026-09-19 Tier 1 The Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple Conservation Project — field reports The Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple Conservation Project Tier 2 The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw Oxford University Press Tier 2 The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt, Richard H. Wilkinson Thames & Hudson Tier 2 Thebes in Egypt: A Guide to the Tombs and Temples of Ancient Luxor, Nigel and Helen Strudwick British Museum Press Source review is incomplete. Consultation dates are shown only for checked references. These references provide the historical background for the page. [Sources and review status](mailto:corrections@egyptmore.com?subject=Luxor101%20correction)