The two colossal statues of a Ptolemaic queen and king discovered by the IEASM during excavations in the sunken city of Thonis-Heracleion are now on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) near Cairo.
The statue of the king may represent Ptolemy II Philadelphus, who ruled between 277-270 BC. It stands 5 metres high and is made of pink granite. The slightly smaller female statue, 4.90 metres high, is also made of pink granite and represents a queen fully assimilated with the goddess Isis. Both statues weigh more than 4 tons each.
The statues were either repaired or re-carved in antiquity. Since early Ptolemaic portraits take care not to suggest Greek origin of the royal house, the face was sometimes re-carved when royal portraiture displayed Greek elements. The two distinct semi-circular eyebrows suggest that such re-carving was done after the reigns of Ptolemy V-VI, and the broad face and thin lips recall the features of Ptolemy VIII. Was the king re-carved at the time of the erection of the colossal stele of Ptolemy VIII during the final years of Thonis-Heracleion? The colossal couple from Thonis-Heracleion was found broken into several fragments close to the temple of Amun on the Central Island of the city. The statues mark an important milestone in the history of the iconography of the Greco-Macedonian dynasty. They are by far the best preserved of the large Pharaonic-style images that exist of Ptolemaic rulers.
It has been announced that the GEM, which is home to the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities worldwide, will open in late 2023. However, the museum's Great Hall and Glass Court, where the colossal statues are on display, are already accessible to the public. According to the ticket website, the museum is now partially open to receive limited group visits, and to hold some special events that are carefully selected.
So, if you are in Egypt or about to visit Cairo and the Giza Plateau in the next couple of months, don't miss this great opportunity to go see the GEM before the official inauguration!