Egypt reopens 3400-year-old Avenue of Sphinxes
Recommended for Preparatory Grades
The Avenue of Sphinxes is a 3400-year-old historical site in Luxor, Egypt. It is a 2.7-kilometre road that connects two temple complexes in the area, the Temple of Luxor and the Temple of Karnak. It was once named “The Path of God” or “Road of the Rams” and has many statues of sphinxes.
What is a sphinx?
A sphinx is an ancient Egyptian stone statue of a creature with a human head and the body of a lion lying down.
The road is believed to have been built to celebrate the annual Opet Festival in the ancient city of Thebes. This city is now known as Luxor.
The Avenue of Sphinxes was buried under sand for centuries. But in 1949, an Egyptian archaeologist named Zakaria Ghineim discovered the first eight sphinx statues in front of the Luxor Temple. Since then, archaeologists have worked to restore the site.
The opening ceremony
Now, finally, the road is open. The opening ceremony was a grand one. They had a re-enactment (live show) of the Opet Festival. There was also a march as well as music and dancers in ancient Egyptian clothes. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi also attended the event.
Moreover, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has also described the Avenue of Sphinxes as the “largest open museum in the world”.
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