In the ancient capital of Egypt, archaeologists have discovered two giant sphinxes

Two colossal limestone statues that depict the pharaoh in the form of a sphinx were discovered during restoration work in the burial temple of King Amenhotep III, which the ancient Egyptians called the "Temple million years."

About the find reported a team of archaeologists from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and the German Archaeological Institute.

The statues, up to 8 meters long, depict Amenhotep III wearing a headdress in the shape of a mongoose, with a royal beard and a wide necklace. The restoration also revealed an inscription on the chest of one of the colossi, which read: "beloved Amon-Ra."

In the same place, archaeologists discovered three well-preserved statues of the powerful goddess Sakhmet, who is depicted with the head of a lion and the body of a woman. They were located at the front of an open courtyard known as the peristyle.

Fragments of a wall relief were also found in the peristyle, revealing new scenes of Heb-Sed, the king's feast, which began after 30 years of his reign and repeats every three years after that. It was one of the most important holidays for the ancient Egyptians, said the director general of archaeological research and scientific publications in South Sinai.

The "Temple of Millions of Years" is a vast complex of temples, statues, walls and elaborate structures dedicated to King Amenhotep III, the pharaoh sometimes referred to as "Amenhotep the Magnificent".

His rule of Egypt in the 14th century BC is considered a kind of "golden age" defined by peaceful prosperity and the time when the country reached the peak of its international influence.