Colossi of Memnon at the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III, Necropolis of Thebes, Egypt

"Kom el Hetan is the site of Amenophis (Amenhotep) III's mortuary temple. Unfortunately, virtually nothing remains of this once great edifice beyond the two immense 'Colossi of Memnon' which stood before its entrance. These great sandstone statues of Amenophis III flanked by small figures of his mother and his wife Tiye (Tiyi) are nearly 59ft high and were famous in antiquity for the bell-like tone which was emitted by the expanding stone of the northern figure at sunrise. Greek travellers thus equated the figure with Memnon, the son of Aurora, the goddess of the dawn, but repairs to the statue in the reign of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus silenced the sound forever." [Wilkinson R., 2000: The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Thames and Hudson]. "Ancient Thebes spanned the Nile River. The east bank is the site of modern Luxor and El Karnak, and was formerly the city of the living, with great temples and residences. On the west bank was the city of the dead, the "Necropolis of Thebes," containing the valleys of the royal tombs, royal mortuary temples, and the houses of priests and workers devoted to the dead." [The J.P.Getty Fund: Thesaurus of Geographic Names]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.