Ramses II - Egypt

Egypt, 1971, SG 1103

Stamp showing the colossal statue of Ramses II in Cairo Square

The statue was found in 1882 at the Great Temple of Ptah in Memphis, broken into several pieces.

POSTCARD, early 20th Century

It was restored and placed on the square, near Cairo railway station in 1955.

Following concerns that the statue was suffering from the effects of pollution and vibration, in 2006 it was decided to move it to the site of the new Grand Egyptian Museum (due to open in 2010), near the Pyramids.

For more details and pictures of the move, see this very good article.

Also some more pics of the move on the BBC News website.