Sphinx of Psammeticus II Also known as Psammetichus II or Psamtik II, he was a king of the Saite-based Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt (595 BC – 589 BC)
The broken and eroded head of this sphinx was found lying beneath the body.
The two elements, restored from the underwater site of the Citadel of Qaitbay, form one of the most beautiful pieces of the underwater site.
The first name of Psammeticus II (Neferibre, ‘Beautiful is the Heart of Re’) is engraved on the plastron.
The royal titulary, which was symmetrically placed on the two sides of the base, is now only visible on the right-hand side.
The mention of Heliopolitan gods (Atum and Re-Horakhty) indicate with certainty the origin of this monument.
This statue is made out of yellow quartzite
Dimensions: 310 x 130 x 90 cm
Weight: 10.16 tonnes
The date of Psamtik II’s death is mentioned in the Adoption stela of Ankhnesneferibre: Year 7, I Akhet day 23.
This statue is currently on display at The Roman Theatre, Kom El-Dikka, Alexandria, Egypt.
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