In a bustling square of Egypt's capital, four sphinx-like statues stand in wooden crates ahead of a planned unveiling ceremony following their controversial transfer from historical sites. With the bodies of lions and heads of rams, the statues had for millennia graced Karnak temple in the southern city of Luxor representing the ancient Egyptian god "Amun".

This month, the restored sandstone statues were moved to Cairo's landmark Tahrir Square, the epicentre of a 2011 popular uprising that toppled longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak. 

"I am against the moving of Luxor monuments. I was especially saddened by their relocation," legislator Ahmed Idris from the city told AFP.

"Luxor has long been like an open museum which should be developed and its monuments' historical value are tied to the city," said Idris.

The statues will be the square's centerpieces, along with a 19-metre-tall (60-foot-tall) pink granite obelisk of the famed Ramses II. 

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An undated handout picture provided by Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities on May 2, 2020
An undated handout picture provided by Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities on May 2, 2020 - The image shows a worker setting one of four restored ram-headed sphinxes, symbolizing the ancient Egyptian god Amun, transported over 700 kilometres from their original location at Karnak temple in Luxor, at its new location in the center of Tahrir square in the capital Cairo.  © Egyptian Antiquities Ministry/AFP/File