2.2 Metre Ramses II Statue Fragments Discovered in Sharqia

An Egyptian archaeological mission has uncovered the upper section of a large statue believed to depict King Ramses II at the Tell el Faraoun site in the Husseiniya district of Sharqia Governorate.

The fragment, which is missing its legs and base, measures approximately 2.20 metres in height and is estimated to weigh between five and six tonnes.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the piece is in relatively poor condition, although surviving royal and stylistic features indicate it may have originally formed part of a triad statue group similar to those identified at other sites in Sharqia.

Officials said the discovery contributes to ongoing research into patterns of religious and royal activity in the eastern Nile Delta during the New Kingdom.

It also supports studies examining the movement and reuse of royal statues, particularly in relation to connections between regional sites and major royal centres.

Preliminary analysis suggests the statue may have been transferred in antiquity from the city of Per Ramesses to Tell el Faraoun—known in ancient times as Imet—for reuse within a local religious complex.

Following its discovery, the fragment was relocated from the temple complex to a museum storeroom in San el Hagar to begin detailed conservation and restoration work under established standards.

The site has yielded additional finds in recent months. In September, archaeologists uncovered a stone stela bearing a version of the Canopus Decree, issued by King Ptolemy III in 238 BC, which was historically circulated among major temples following a priestly assembly in Canopus.