The Ramesseum: A Comprehensive Guide to the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses II

The Ramesseum stands as one of ancient Egypt’s most impressive monuments, serving as the memorial temple (or mortuary temple) of Pharaoh Ramesses II, commonly known as “Ramesses the Great.” Located in the Theban Necropolis in Upper Egypt, this magnificent structure was built during the 13th century BC and represents the pinnacle of New Kingdom temple architecture. The temple was originally called “The House of millions of years of Usermaatra-setepenra that unites with Thebes-the-city in the domain of Amun,” reflecting Ramesses II’s royal name and his desire for immortality. Today, despite the ravages of time, the Ramesseum continues to captivate visitors with its grandeur, remarkable reliefs, and the remains of what was once one of the largest statues in the ancient world.

Overview of the Ramesseum

Location and Accessibility

The Ramesseum is located on the west bank of the Nile River, across from the modern city of Luxor in Egypt. It forms part of the larger Theban Necropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage site that includes many temples and tombs from ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom period. The temple sits on the edge of the cultivation area, where the desert begins, making it a prominent landmark in the area.

Where is the Ramesseum Located?

The Ramesseum is situated in the Theban Necropolis in Upper Egypt, approximately 2.5 kilometers west of the Nile River. It stands between Medinet Habu to the south and the Valley of the Kings to the north. This strategic location was chosen by Ramesses II as part of the ancient Egyptian tradition of building mortuary temples on the west bank of the Nile, which was associated with the setting sun and the afterlife.

Opening Hours and Ticket Information

The Ramesseum is open to visitors daily, with seasonal hours:

• Summer (April to October): 6 AM – 6 PM
• Winter (November to March): 6 AM – 5 PM

Ticket prices as of the latest information:

• Foreign visitors: 25 EGP (Egyptian Pounds)
• Egyptian nationals: 2 EGP

The site has basic facilities, including a rest house where visitors can take a break from the desert heat.

Historical Significance

When Was the Ramesseum Built?

Construction of the Ramesseum began shortly after Ramesses II ascended to the throne in 1279 BC and continued for approximately 20 years. This massive building project was part of Ramesses II’s ambitious construction program throughout Egypt, which included temples at Abu Simbel, additions to the Karnak Temple complex, and numerous other monuments. The Ramesseum was designed to serve as both a temple dedicated to the god Amun-Ra and as a memorial to Ramesses II himself, ensuring his immortality in the afterlife.

Tomb of Osymandias: The Myth and Reality

The Ramesseum has been known by several names throughout history. In the early 19th century, it was often referred to as the “Tomb of Osymandias” or the “Palace of Memnon,” names derived from Greek interpretations of Ramesses II’s throne name, Usermaatra-setepenra. The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus described a magnificent monument in the 1st century BC, which was later identified as the Ramesseum.

The name “Osymandias” became particularly famous through Percy Bysshe Shelley’s 1818 sonnet of the same name, inspired by the fallen colossus of Ramesses II at the site. The poem reflects on the impermanence of power and the inevitable decline of even the mightiest rulers. It was French scholar Jean-François Champollion who first correctly identified the ruins as belonging to Ramesses II in 1829 and coined the name “Ramesseum” that is used today.

Architectural Features of the Ramesseum

General Design and Layout

Description of the Temple Design

The Ramesseum follows the standard design principles of New Kingdom mortuary temples, with a northwest-southeast orientation. The temple complex begins with two massive stone pylons (gateways), each leading into a courtyard. Beyond the second courtyard lies a covered 48-column hypostyle hall at the center of the complex, surrounding the inner sanctuary.

The temple’s walls and pylons were decorated with scenes commemorating Ramesses II’s military victories, particularly the Battle of Kadesh, as well as religious scenes showing the pharaoh making offerings to various deities. This decorative program served to glorify the king and emphasize his close relationship with the gods.

Size and Scale of the Ramesseum

The Ramesseum is the second largest temple in Egypt, occupying an area of approximately 10 hectares (1,100,000 square feet). The temple itself measures about 600 feet (183 meters) by 220 feet (67 meters), making it unusually large even by the standards of Egyptian mortuary temples.

The entire complex was surrounded by mudbrick walls starting at the gigantic southeast pylon. Beyond the main temple structure, the Ramesseum included storerooms, granaries, workshops, and other ancillary buildings, some of which were added as late as Roman times. Archaeological evidence suggests the site was also home to an important scribal school during the Third Intermediate Period.

Key Sections of the Temple

First Courtyard

The Ramesseum was entered through a pylon that led to the first courtyard. This open space was once surrounded by colonnades, though only fragments remain today. At the rear of this courtyard stood the most famous feature of the Ramesseum: the colossal statue of Ramesses II, now lying in pieces. This court also contained the remains of a royal palace on its southern side, where the king would stay during ritual visits to the temple.

Second Courtyard

The second courtyard is better preserved than the first and features remains of Osiride pillars (columns with statues of Osiris in the form of Ramesses II attached to them). The walls of this courtyard display scenes of the Battle of Kadesh and religious processions, including a feast in honor of the fertility god Min. Two seated statues of the king once flanked the entrance to this courtyard, one in pink granite and the other in black granite. The head of one of these statues was removed to the British Museum in the early 19th century, where it is known as the “Younger Memnon.”

Hypostyle Hall

Beyond the second courtyard lies the great hypostyle hall, measuring 41 by 31 meters (130 by 100 feet). Of the original 48 columns, 39 still stand in the central rows. These columns are decorated with scenes of Ramesses II making offerings to various gods. Parts of the ceiling, decorated with gold stars on a blue background, have also been preserved. This hall would have been an impressive, dimly lit space where important religious rituals took place.

Osiris Columns and Astronomy Hall

The second, smaller hypostyle hall is sometimes called the Astronomy Hall because its ceiling was decorated with astronomical scenes, including what some scholars believe to be the earliest 12-month calendar. This hall originally featured eight papyrus-bud columns. On its western wall is a scene depicting Ramesses II having his name recorded on the “tree of life” by the god Thoth and the goddess Seshat, symbolically ensuring his eternal life.

The Ramesseum Statue

Description and Dimensions of the Statue

The most impressive feature of the Ramesseum was the gigantic seated statue of Ramesses II that once stood at the rear of the first courtyard. This colossal statue depicted the pharaoh seated on a throne, wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. It was carved from a single block of granite and would have dominated the temple landscape, visible from great distances.

The statue was approximately 17-19 meters (56-62 feet) tall when complete. Today, only fragments remain, including parts of the torso, the base, and the enormous head that lies on the ground. Despite its ruined state, these fragments still convey the statue’s original grandeur and the technical achievement it represented.

Ramesseum Statue Weight and Construction

The colossal statue of Ramesses II is estimated to have weighed approximately 1,000 tonnes (2,200,000 pounds) when complete. This makes it one of the largest monolithic statues ever created in the ancient world. The statue was carved from red granite quarried at Aswan, some 220 kilometers (140 miles) from the Ramesseum.

The transportation of this massive block of stone over such a distance represents one of the greatest engineering feats of ancient Egypt. Scholars believe it would have been moved on wooden sledges, probably during the annual Nile flood when water channels could be used to bring it closer to its destination. Thousands of workers would have been required for this enormous undertaking, demonstrating the immense resources at Ramesses II’s command.

Artistic and Cultural Significance

Reliefs and Inscriptions

Battle of Kadesh Depictions

The most famous reliefs at the Ramesseum depict the Battle of Kadesh (circa 1274 BC), a major military engagement between the forces of Ramesses II and the Hittite Empire. These scenes appear on the first pylon and show Ramesses II in his war chariot, charging into battle and routing the Hittite forces. The accompanying inscriptions include the “Poem of Pentaur,” an epic account of the battle that portrays Ramesses II as a divinely supported hero who single-handedly turned the tide of battle.

These battle scenes were propaganda tools that emphasized the pharaoh’s military prowess and divine favor, regardless of the actual historical outcome of the battle (which was likely more of a stalemate than the decisive victory depicted).

Other Notable Scenes and Inscriptions

Beyond the Battle of Kadesh, the Ramesseum contains numerous other important reliefs and inscriptions. These include:

• Scenes of the Syrian Wars and the conquest of various cities
• Depictions of religious processions and offerings to gods
• The Festival of Min, an important fertility ritual
• Scenes showing Ramesses II being crowned by deities including Sekhmet, Amun-Ra, and Khonsu
• Processions of Ramesses II’s numerous sons and daughters
• A scene showing the king’s name being inscribed on the sacred persea tree by Thoth and Seshat

One intriguing relief on the first pylon records Ramesses II’s pillaging of a city called “Shalem” in the eighth year of his reign, which some scholars have suggested might be Jerusalem.

The Ramesseum King List

Historical Context of the King List

The Ramesseum contains a minor king list of pharaohs of ancient Egypt, located on the upper register of the second western pylon. This list shows a procession where ancestors of Ramesses II are honored during ceremonies of the festival of Min. It contains 19 cartouches with the names of 14 pharaohs, listing fewer rulers than Ramesses II’s more famous king list at Abydos.

Notably, the Ramesseum king list omits Hatshepsut and the Amarna pharaohs (including Akhenaten), reflecting the political and religious considerations of Ramesses II’s time. The list is divided into two parts: one showing 14 statues of ancestral kings being carried in a procession, and a second procession led by six kings. This selective genealogy was designed to legitimize Ramesses II’s rule by connecting him to illustrious predecessors while excluding those deemed problematic or heretical.

Archaeological Studies and Discoveries

Excavation History

Key Archaeologists and Discoveries

The modern study of the Ramesseum began during Napoleon Bonaparte’s expedition to Egypt in 1798. French engineers Jean-Baptiste Prosper Jollois and Édouard de Villiers du Terrage were assigned to study the site and identified it as the “Tomb of Ozymandias” described by classical authors.

In 1815, Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni, working for British Consul General Henry Salt, successfully removed the upper part of one of the colossal granite statues (the “Younger Memnon”) and transported it to England. This massive head arrived in London in 1818 and is now one of the most famous exhibits in the British Museum.

Jean-François Champollion, who deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs, visited the ruins in 1829 and was the first to correctly identify them as belonging to Ramesses II. He coined the name “Ramesseum” that is still used today.

Recent Excavations and Findings

Since 1991, a joint French-Egyptian team has been exploring and restoring the Ramesseum and its surroundings. Their discoveries have included:

• Kitchens, bakeries, and supply rooms for the temple to the south
• A school where boys were taught to be scribes to the southeast
• Evidence of the temple’s economic activities and administration
• Pottery and other artifacts that provide insights into daily life at the temple

One of the challenges in preserving the area has been controlling modern Egyptian farmers who encroach on the ruins for agricultural purposes.

Storage Facilities and Granaries

Construction of True Arches

One of the most technologically significant features of the Ramesseum is its storage facilities, which contain some of the oldest true arches in the world. These mud-brick arches, dating to around 1300 BC, were used to create vaulted ceilings for the granaries. While not constructed with wedge-shaped voussoirs (the standard method for building stable arches), these structures were held together with mortar and represent an important step in architectural development.

The Ramesseum contains the oldest such arch still standing in Egypt. Each granary in the oldest group was approximately 32 meters (105 feet) in length, 3.7 meters (12 feet) wide, and 3.5 meters (11 feet) high, with barrel-vaulted roofs.

Importance of Granaries in Ancient Egypt

The extensive storage facilities at the Ramesseum demonstrate the temple’s economic importance. In ancient Egypt, grain was considered as valuable as gold, and these granaries served as displays of the pharaoh’s great wealth. The stored grain was used to feed the temple personnel, provide offerings to the gods, and could be distributed during times of famine.

Some scholars speculate that larger temples like the Ramesseum had their own merchant ships and trading networks, using their agricultural surplus as a form of economic power. The granaries at the Ramesseum were not just functional buildings but symbols of the institution’s economic self-sufficiency and the pharaoh’s ability to provide for his people.

The Ramesseum Today and Visitor Experience

Visitors to the Ramesseum today can explore the partially preserved temple complex, including the remains of two stone pylons, two courtyards, and the hypostyle hall with 29 of its original 48 columns still standing. The most striking feature is the fallen colossus of Ramesses II in the first courtyard, with fragments of the massive statue scattered on the ground.

Well-preserved reliefs showing the Battle of Kadesh and religious scenes can be seen on the remaining walls. The second courtyard contains Osiride pillars and columns, while parts of the astronomical ceiling survive in the smaller hypostyle hall. The surrounding mud-brick structures include some of the oldest standing arches in the world.

Unlike the more crowded sites like the Valley of the Kings or Karnak Temple, the Ramesseum often offers a more peaceful experience for visitors wishing to contemplate the grandeur of ancient Egyptian civilization. The site’s connection to Shelley’s famous poem “Ozymandias” adds a layer of literary significance that appeals to many travelers.

Conclusion

The Ramesseum stands as a testament to the ambition, wealth, and power of Ramesses II, one of ancient Egypt’s most renowned pharaohs. Despite the ravages of time and the pillaging of materials over the centuries, this magnificent mortuary temple continues to impress visitors with its scale, architectural innovation, and artistic achievements. From the fallen colossus that inspired Shelley’s “Ozymandias” to the vivid battle scenes of Kadesh, the Ramesseum offers a window into the grandeur of ancient Egyptian civilization at its peak.

For modern visitors, the Ramesseum provides not just spectacular ruins to explore, but insights into ancient Egyptian religion, politics, and engineering. The ongoing archaeological work at the site continues to reveal new information about how the temple functioned as a religious, administrative, and economic center. When visiting Luxor, the Ramesseum deserves a place on any itinerary alongside the more famous Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple, offering a less crowded but equally rewarding experience of ancient Egypt’s splendor.

The Ramesseum Quick Facts

• Funerary or mortuary temple of Ramesses II who reigned between 1279-1213 BC
• Constructed on the western bank of the Nile River in ancient Thebes in Upper Egypt
• Famous for the 57 foot high statue of Ramesses II which now sits in ruins with only fragments left behind
• This enormous statue was transported 170 miles over land to the Ramesseum
• Scenes and reliefs inside the temple include the Battle of Kadesh, Siege of Dapur and Tunip, Ramesses II being crowned by Sekhmet, Amon-Ra and Khonsu, Barques procession, and litanies to Ptah and Ra-Harakty
• A temple dedicated to Ramesses II’s mother, Tuya, and his beloved chief wife, Nefertari stands to the north of the Hypostyle hall
• Contains some of the oldest true arches in the world, used in the construction of granaries
• Inspired Percy Bysshe Shelley’s famous sonnet “Ozymandias”
• Named by Jean-François Champollion, who deciphered hieroglyphics, in 1829

Visiting the Ramesseum Today

The Ramesseum is included in many Luxor West Bank tour packages, though it receives fewer visitors than the more famous sites nearby. This relative tranquility is part of its charm, allowing visitors to explore at a leisurely pace without the crowds that can sometimes overwhelm other ancient Egyptian monuments.

The site is typically open from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily, with slightly reduced hours during Ramadan. A modest entrance fee provides access to the entire complex. While guided tours are available, the Ramesseum is also conducive to self-guided exploration, with informational signs in Arabic, English, and French providing context for the major features.

For the best photographic opportunities, morning visits are recommended when the eastern light illuminates the temple’s remaining columns and reliefs. The late afternoon also offers dramatic lighting as the sun begins to set over the desert beyond the temple grounds.

Conservation Efforts

The Ramesseum has been the focus of several conservation initiatives in recent decades. The Franco-Egyptian Archaeological Center of the Ramesseum, established in the 1990s, has undertaken significant work to document, preserve, and partially restore elements of the complex.

Challenges facing conservators include:

• The ongoing effects of erosion and weathering on the sandstone structures
• Rising groundwater levels that threaten foundations
• Previous improper restoration attempts from the early 20th century
• The need to balance tourist access with preservation concerns

Recent conservation work has focused on stabilizing the remaining columns in the hypostyle hall, documenting and preserving the vivid painted reliefs, and excavating previously unexplored sections of the administrative buildings and storage facilities.

Archaeological Discoveries

Ongoing archaeological work at the Ramesseum continues to yield new insights into the temple complex and its role in ancient Egyptian society. Recent excavations in the storage areas have revealed:

• Evidence of extensive grain storage capabilities, confirming the temple’s economic importance
• Administrative papyri documenting the temple’s day-to-day operations
• Artifacts related to the temple’s workshops, where craftsmen produced everything from ceramics to furniture for religious ceremonies

These discoveries have helped scholars develop a more complete understanding of how mortuary temples functioned not just as religious sites but as economic and administrative centers that employed hundreds of workers and managed substantial agricultural resources.

As archaeological work continues, the Ramesseum will likely continue to provide valuable insights into the reign of Ramesses II and the complex religious and economic systems that sustained ancient Egyptian civilization at its height.