CAIRO: Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced the discovery of fragments of two colossal royal statues in Bahbit Al-Higara village in Gharbia Governorate, one identified as King Ramses II and the other also thought to depict him.
The discoveries were made during rescue excavations conducted by a mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities and included a pink granite block inscribed with the pharaoh's royal titles in hieroglyphs.
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According to the ministry, the first find consists of a 1.60-metre-tall head of Ramses II wearing the Double Crown, representing the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, together with part of a back pillar bearing his Horus name.
The original statue, including its base, is estimated to have measured around 8.5 metres in height.
The second statue's surviving portion measures 2.40 metres, with its legs and base missing. Its well-preserved head retains distinct facial features and depicts the king wearing the traditional royal nemes headdress.
A separate pink granite block, measuring 1.30 metres, carries two hieroglyphic inscriptions identifying Ramses II by his royal titles, Nesu-Bity (King of Upper and Lower Egypt) and Sa-Ra (Son of Ra).
The ministry said archaeological excavations and studies would continue to determine the nature of the finds and how they relate to one another, while providing further insight into the site's history and architectural development.