The Colossi of Memnon are two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. His reign was a period of unprecedented prosperity and artistic splendor, when Egypt reached the peak of her artistic and international power. For the past 3400 years (since 1350 BC) they have stood in the Theban necropolis. The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt). The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes (modern Luxor), within the heart of the Theban Necropolis. The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and give clues to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. Almost all of the tombs seem to have been opened and robbed in antiquity, but they still give an idea of the opulence and power of the Pharaohs. This area has been a focus of archaeological and egyptological exploration since the end of the eighteenth century, and its tombs and burials continue to stimulate research and interest. In 1979, it became a World Heritage Site, along with the rest of the Theban Necropolis. Photographed by Pascal S矇bah, circa 1860-80.