Goddess statues unearthed in Luxor

LUXOR

The statues are depicting the ancient Egyptian lioness Goddess Sekhmet. AA photo

Egyptian and European excavators unearthed a collection of black granite statues depicting the ancient Egyptian lioness Goddess Sekhmet during their routine excavation at the King Amenhotep III funerary temple in the Kom Al-Hittan area on the west bank of Luxor on March 11, Egyptian website Ahmar online has reported. The statues depict the goddess Sekhmet in her usual form, sitting on the throne with a human body and lioness’s head.

“This is not the first time statues of the lioness goddess have been unearthed at Kom Al-Hittan,” said Mohamed Ibrahim, minister of state for antiquities adding that the Egyptian-European mission led by German Egyptologist Horig Sourouzian had previously unearthed 64 statues of Sekhment in different shapes and sizes.

Ibrahim explained that discovering such a large number of statues highlights the important role of the goddess during the reign of King Amenhotep III in the 18th dynasty. Amenhotep III was the father of the monotheistic king Akhnaten and grandfather of the golden king Tutankhamun.

Protective goddess

Sekhmet was believed to be a protective goddess as she was also the goddess of war and destruction. “Some Egyptologists” pointed out Ibrahim “believe that king Amenhotep constructed a large number of goddess Sekhmets in an attempt to cure him of a specific disease that he suffered during his reign.” Sekhmet was well known of her supposed ability to cure critical diseases.

Mansour Boreik, supervisor of Luxor antiquities, told Ahram online that the statues are very well preserved and each one is two meters tall. He said that the statues prove Amenhotep III’s funerary temple was once filled with Sekhmet statues of different sizes and shapes, similar to his temple on the east bank of Luxor. This temple acted as a symbol of stability and prosperity during Amenhotep III’s reign.

Archeologists unearthed a large number of statues of Amenhotep III and his wife Queen Tiye 10 years ago while they unearthed some parts of the temple’s walls.