Free Republic

Archeologists have discovered the remains of two huge sphinx statues, each measuring 26 feet in length, at the funerary temple of King Amenhotep III, a pharaoh who reigned about 3,300 years ago, according to a recent statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. A team led by Horig Sorosian found the sphinxes partially submerged in water at the funerary building, known as the “Temple of Millions of Years,” located within the vast ruins of Luxor, Egypt, which includes the ancient city of Thebes. Amenhotep III’s temple is packed with artifacts and was once a resplendent feature of Luxor....

Controversy has recently arisen about moving four sphinxes from their find spot in Luxor (ancient Thebes) to Cairo's Tahrir Square. Archaeologists and heritage experts argue that using the statues to decorate a traffic circle in the congested heart of the Egyptian capital is unlawful and may inadvertently damage the monuments. Not only is Tahrir Square one of the busiest places in the country -- it was the epicenter of the 2011 uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak and is the location of the Egyptian Museum -- but Cairo also suffers from extreme air pollution and high humidity. The sandstone statues...