Egypt unveils 50 pound coin minted to mark Avenue of Sphinxes grand reopening

By Amwal Al Ghad English On May 8, 2022

Egypt Avenue of Sphinxes grand reopening 2 — Fireworks explode during the reopening ceremony for the restored Avenue of the Sphinxes, or Road of the Rams, a 3,000-year-old path that connects Luxor Temple with Karnak Temple, on November 25, 2021. (Photo Credit: Reuters)

Egypt unveiled on Sunday a new 50 pound coin minted to mark the country’s reopening of 3,000-year-old Avenue of Sphinxes in Luxor, a grand ceremony that took place in November.

The decision was released by Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly in the official gazette.

The silver coin depicts the grandiose reopening of Avenue of Sphinxes, the ancient walkway, nearly two miles long and about 250 feet wide, which was once named “the Path of God.” The walkway connects the Temple of Luxor with the Temple of Karnak, just up the Nile River to the north.

In November, Egypt reopened Avenue of Sphinxes featured an appearance by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, before a documentary about the site was shown and thousands of dancers, musicians and actors paraded down the 2.7 kilometre, 3,000-year-old avenue from Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attended the reopening ceremony at Luxor Temple in November (Photo Credit: EPA)

After years of renovation, the 2,700-metre Avenue of the Sphinxes was reopened in a grand ceremony in November (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

The ceremony to reopen the area was part of a series of high-profile investments in Egypt’s historical sites, designed at the time to allure tourists and revive a vivid sector struggling to bounce back from the pandemic repercussions.