The discovery of a 3,000-year-old statue in the slums of Cairo, Egypt, is being hailed by that country’s Antiquities Ministry as “one of the most important in living memory.” It is believed to depict Pharaoh Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, who ruled more than 3,000 years ago and was widely considered Egypt’s greatest Pharaoh.
The huge quartzite colossus, discovered in Matariya near the ancient city of Heliopolis during a routine excavation, is around 30 feet tall.
Via Bored Panda:
The upper part of a smaller statue, depicting Pharaoh Seti II (Ramses II’s grandson), and pieces of an obelisk bearing hieroglyphics were also excavated. Experts have already begun restoring the artifacts, which will later be displayed at the Grand Egyptian Museum set to open in 2018.