Ramesseum

Welcome to the Ramesseum, the grand mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great. As we stand before these monumental ruins on the West Bank of Luxor, we are entering what the ancient Egyptians called 'The…

We stand now at the remains of the First Pylon, which originally stood 70 meters wide and 22 meters high. Imagine this grand entrance flanked by gardens and connected to a quay on the Nile via a canal. …

Lying before us in the first courtyard is perhaps the most iconic sight of the Ramesseum: the remains of the 'Fallen Colossus.' This red granite statue, carved from a single block from Aswan, once stood nearly 20 meters tall and…

Entering the Hypostyle Hall, we find ourselves in a 'Stone Forest' of 48 papyrus columns. The central 12 columns are particularly magnificent, standing 10 meters high with open papyrus capitals, while the surrounding 36 have…

To the south of the first courtyard lies the mud-brick Royal Palace. This was not the Pharaoh's permanent residence—that was in the Delta at Pi-Ramses—but a preparation room and temporary residence for festivals. …

Beyond the stone temple structures, we find the extensive mud-brick granaries and storage vaults. These are some of the best-preserved examples of such structures from the New Kingdom. …

At the rear of the temple lies the most sacred area: the Sanctuary or Holy of Holies. This was the dwelling place of the god Amun-Ra. …

As we leave the Ramesseum, we are left with the image of a Pharaoh who dared to challenge time itself. From the colossal 'Ozymandias' to the intricate astronomical columns of the Hypostyle Hall, every stone was a testament to…