After more than 3000 years, a statue of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III has been re-erected by archeologists in the city of Luxor after being knocked down by an earthquake.
We are talking here about one of the great figures in the story of ancient Egypt. Amenhotep III was a boy king. He inherited the throne at the age of only 12 years old and ruled an empire. He reigned at a time when Egyptian civilization was at its very height. This most magnificent and this larger-than-life figure was given colossal monuments in his honor, among them this 13-meter high statue that stood on the banks of the Nile until it was brought down by an earthquake 3000 years ago. So for 30 centuries, it lay in pieces in the field, more than 80 pieces. Now though, the statue has been restored and unveiled today. There is another very similar colossal statue of Amenhotep III. It was also brought down by that earthquake. And it, too, has been restored, put back in its place and unveiled back in March. And these two figures stand at the gates of the famous royal funerary temple compound in Luxor, which boasts yet another two massive seated figures of the kings. We are talking about 4 colossi now. This extraordinary world-famous archeological site has been very much enhanced by today’s restoration.
And the context for this is just how important tourism is now, even more also, to the Egyptian economy after what’s been happening recently.
Well, of course. Years now of upheaval that has battered the Egyptian economy in many ways and any revivalof that economy will need to be helped by the tourist industry which is so important, visitors coming fromall around the world. The legacy of ancient Egypt is so much, so important in that tourist industry. And the images coming from Luxor today show just how delighted and proud the archeologists and the local peoplewere by what they’ve seen today.
Now are you sitting comfortably? If not, this item may be for you. It’s about amateur videos on YouTube designed to make others feel pleasurable sensations. One of the videos has been viewed 7 million times. Thesensation has a name ASMR or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.