Archaeologists working in very extreme and difficult conditions in Cairo recently discovered an ancient statue hidden deep in the mud.
The German-Egyptian research team found the statue, which stands a whopping 26 feet, below the water level in what was once the city of Heliopolis, and they believe that it is a carving of Ramses II.
Heliopolis was one of the oldest cities in Egypt and its inhabitants worshiped the sun god. Egypt’s antiquities minister, Khaled al-Anani, posted an update on Facebook saying that this was a very important archeological find.
According to Reuters, researchers also dug up a portion of a life-sized statue of Pharaoh Seti II, Ramses grandson. Although it has not yet been confirmed that the statue is of Ramses, it seems pretty likely since it was found in front of the gate of his temple. 
Ramses II was once known to many Greeks Ozymandias. Now, we’re familiar with that name thanks to a famous poem written by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
It is believed that the poem was inspired by a broken statue of Ramses II. This statue is now owned by a British museum, just as is the case with many other priceless Egyptian treasures. The newly discovered statue won’t be traveling to British soil, though.
Once it is restored, and it is confirmed to be Ramses II, it will be put on display in front of the Grand Egyptian Museum. This project is expected to be completed in Cairo and the museum is slated to open in 2018. 
