Update on Sphinx Alley

Had a great update visit to Sphinx Avenue, lots of new things there as well as at Karnak.


This is the new bit of the avenue that has been found, it leads toward the Nile from the Mut temple.


Mansour Boraik took me around and explained the various objects. There were some things I saw that are not published yet so sorry no photos of those but keep an eye on the press. Everything else is in the public domain. I have a lot of time for Mansour, very academic man and very generous of his time.


Some of the restored sphinxes look particularly good.



Awaiting restoration.


You can see the damage done to the avenue when it was under water.


Here you can see the sockets of the flag poles used during the Opet festival. Notice how they are not in a straight line.


Mansour talked about how the faces of the spinxes vary according the artist carving them. He has published quite a lot about this site in the http://www.cfeetk.cnrs.fr/uk/index.php?page=publication-des-cahiers-de-karnak-13 if you want to read more.


Some of the problems the avenue still faces form the people living around it. Here a herd of goats cross it.


The proposed site management is truly excellent. This is an example but Mansour wants to have other similar ones along the road. The idea is to have viewing areas. This one is behind the Heritage Centre


In ts early stages but this will be a pool of papyrus and lotus, similar to that at the Cairo museum.


Along this route where they have found structures of interest there have inset the wall so these can be displayed. This is a Roman winery.


Here is a photo looking up from the avenue to the Heritage centre. As you can see it will make a nice stop, there are plans for a cafe etc.