Relief decoration on base of colossal statue of Ramses II. Luxor, Egypt

"Colossi functioned on several levels. Stationed along the temple approaches and in major processional areas they certainly acted in a protective role, but they also showed the inseparable relationship of the king with the gods at a level close to that of the divine." [Wilkinson R., 2000: The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Thames and Hudson]. "With the village of Karnak, Luxor (Al Uqsur) is on the site of ancient Thebes (capital of the New Kingdom). When Thebes declined, Luxor remained the more heavily populated part of the ancient city and grew into a modern market town." [The J.P.Getty Fund: Thesaurus of Geographic Names]. The photograph depicts wall decoration representating, on one side, Nefertari, and on the other side, Nile gods of Upper and Lower Egypt symbolizing the unity of the two countries by binding the lily of Upper Egypt with the papyrus of Lower Egypt, the Delta area. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for American Institute of Architects, directing the Egyptian portion of the documentary on Ancient Egypt, March 1965 and September 1965.