Egypt set to unveil 3,000-year-old Avenue of Sphinxes to the world in grand ceremony

Egypt has finally decided to officially unveil the 3,000-year-old Avenue of Sphinxes (El Kebbash Road) to the world on 25 November, Thursday in a spectacular ceremony. According to ABC News, this pathway is opening in the southern city of Luxor, after several repairs as well as evacuation operations. Following the announcement, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has extended open invitations to a number of foreign embassies and prominent personalities, citing Al Ahram newspaper, the Egyptian Streets reported. 

The Avenue of Sphinxes lies between Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple which has been unearthed in the ancient city of Thebes, complete with its signature sphinxes and ram-headed sculptures on both flanks. The pathway is 1.7 miles long and around 250 feet broad. As per the Egyptian Streets, in honour of the avenue's inauguration, Egypt has planned to broadcast the "spectacular grand reopening ceremony" that will comprise a parade -- intended to surpass the splendour of the April 2021 Royal Mummies procession through Cairo. Further, through a historical performance, the parade will commence at the Luxor temple and conclude at Karnak. 

This restoration operation of the avenue is one of the numerous initiatives undertaken by Egyptian officials to revive Egypt's tourism appeal after the outbreak of COVID-19. Moreover, this opening is regarded as a tremendous cultural accomplishment for Egypt along with the provision to study the ancient Egyptian civilisation, Egyptian Streets reported. 

Discovery of the Avenue of Sphinxes

The excavation of the Avenue of Sphinxes "has unearthed other objects,...including a wall dating back to the Roman period," Egyptian Streets quoted Mustafa al-Saghier, the director of the Karnak Temple complex and general supervisor of the Avenue of Sphinxes' renovation project. According to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Luxor represents the ancient Egyptian civilization's greatness, and he plans to utilise the inaugural ceremony to "promote the country's soft power internationally." 

Furthermore, the Avenue of Sphinxes was built during the time period of the New Kingdom era and finished underneath the reign of 30th Dynasty monarch Nectanebo I (380-362 B.C.), but since then, it has been buried beneath layers of sand for centuries.  During an interview with ABC News, El-Sagheer said that the avenue was first discovered in the year 1949 when Egyptian archaeologist Mohammed Zakaria Ghoneim unearthed eight sculptures near the Luxor Temple. Another 17 additional statues were found between 1958 and 1961 and nearly 55 sculptures were recovered between 1961 and 1964, all of which are found in the 250-meter radius. 

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