Egyptian antiquities workers have completed a year-long restoration project on the statue of Thutmose II, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said on Monday.
The 10.5-metre structure, the largest of the three statues of the pharaoh in Egypt, is one of the highlights of Luxor’s famed Karnak Temple, the country's second most visited archaeological site after the Giza pyramids.
The statue’s restoration began in August of last year and was set to be completed in January, but it was delayed.
Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, expressed his pride on Monday over the project’s completion because it was completed by an all-Egyptian team.
The statue, made entirely of quartzite rock, had been so severely damaged over the years that the pharaoh’s torso had completely come off the main structure, so visitors to the temple would merely see a pair of giant stone legs sitting on a throne.
Abdel Hakim Al Badry, director of restoration at Karnak, said that the Thutmose II project began with a “mechanical cleaning” of the statue to remove dirt and traces of mud from various parts, some of which had fallen out of place.
Furthermore, disassembled parts of the statue were reconnected and secured, while cracks in the structure were injected with various kinds of adhesive paste, Dr Al Badry explained.
A chemical cleaning was also required to remove traces of bird droppings from the statue.
The ministry said that it had followed internationally approved restoration protocols throughout the project.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How Sputnik V works
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
