This magnificent mortuary temple is unfortunately hThe Ramesseum: The Mortuary Temple of Ramesses II
Though now partially in ruins, the Ramesseum remains a magnificent testament to ancient Egyptian architecture. In construction and material quality, it rivals the mortuary temple of Seti I at Qurna, though it does not quite match the artistic finesse of Seti’s murals. The temple’s design is relatively simple for a New Kingdom structure. While Ramesses II’s son, Merenptah, and his successor, Ramesses III, made minor additions, they did not detract from the original architectural vision of Ramesses II.
During his extraordinary 67-year reign, Ramesses II embarked on an unprecedented building campaign. He delighted in having state sculptors perpetuate his image, ensuring his name adorned nearly every pylon, hall, and chamber across Egypt. His massive monuments stretched from Memphis and Heliopolis to Abydos and Thebes, extending deep into the heart of Nubia, with his image even carved in gigantic detail into the rocks of Asia. One can easily imagine the enthusiasm of his sculptors, who knew their grandiose projects would be eagerly approved. Today, the image of Ramesses II is more indelibly projected into the modern age than that of any other pharaoh.
His favorite thematic focus was his famous alliance with the Hittite King, prominently depicted on the great pylon forming the eastern entrance to the Ramesseum. While this campaign was his only truly significant military endeavor in Asia over a 15-year period, he also successfully suppressed Nubian revolts and conducted a campaign in Libya.
Enclosed within its girdle wall, the entire Ramesseum complex measures approximately 275 by 168 meters, though a large portion of this area was dedicated to subsidiary buildings and storerooms.
The inner surfaces of the entrance pylon feature vivid, dynamic murals.
On the northern tower (right side), the lower rows depict the Egyptian army on the march, complete with infantry and charioteers. Above them is the Egyptian camp, fortified by a rampart of shields. The scene is remarkably lively: chariots are drawn up in long lines, heavy baggage wagons stand nearby, and unharnessed horses are being fed. Soldiers are shown conversing, one drinks from a wineskin, and two others appear to be quarreling. To the right of this tower, Ramesses II is depicted seated on his throne, taking counsel with his standing princes. Below him, a row of captured spies is being beaten to extract information.
On the southern tower (left side), the actual attack is portrayed. The entire left half of this pylon illustrates the Battle of Kadesh: Ramesses II dashes into battle in his chariot while the ground is littered with the dead and wounded. Enemies retreat in confusion, falling headlong into the Orontes River, while surviving Hittites take refuge in their fortress. The right half of the tower features the traditional motif of the Pharaoh grasping enemies by the hair and smiting them.
The First Court (B) is largely in ruins. Toward the rear, near the ancient western gate, lie the fragmented remains of a colossal statue of the king (D). This massive sculpture—once one of the most enormous pieces of stone ever shaped to such perfection—shows superb craftsmanship, right down to the final polish. When Napoleon’s French expedition visited Egypt, they carefully measured the remaining chest, upper arm, and foot. They estimated the original statue stood over 17 meters tall and weighed more than 1,000 tons. Carved from a single piece of granite, it not only exceeded the size of the Colossi of Memnon but also dwarfed most statues of Ramesses’ ancestors. Transporting it intact from the Aswan quarries is almost inconceivable; for context, Hatshepsut’s obelisks at Karnak weighed only a third as much. Known as the “Sun of Princes,” the statue was originally flanked by a statue of his mother, Queen Tuya.
Passing these colossal remains, visitors enter the Second Court (F), which is in a much better state of preservation. It is surrounded by colonnades on all four sides, with the rear colonnade situated on a terrace. The court features statues of Osiris, and the column shafts depict Ramesses II making sacrifices to the deities.
This specific court is widely believed to be the one described by the ancient historian Diodorus as the “Tomb of Ozymandias.” “Ozymandias” is a Greek corruption of User-ma-re, one of Ramesses II’s throne names. The two colossal monoliths that once towered over the Ramesseum’s pylons famously inspired Percy Bysshe Shelley’s iconic 1818 poem:
Ozymandias
by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822)I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said: “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Well-preserved scenes of the Battle of Kadesh [c] adorn this court. Ramesses II is depicted larger than his men, dashing into battle while the enemy lies in heaps. The fortress of Kadesh, surrounded by a moat, separates a group of enemies from the battlefield; rather than preparing for combat, these men are shown helping their drowning companions. While some view this mural as a pretentious interpretation, its complex composition demonstrates significant artistic development and sophistication, even if the individual figures show a slight stylistic deterioration compared to the expressive detail of Seti I’s mortuary temple.
Higher on the wall [c], scenes from the Festival of the God Min are depicted, celebrating the Pharaoh’s accession to the throne. Priests stand beside the king, awaiting a procession of royal ancestor images, while releasing four birds to carry royal tidings to the four corners of the earth. Further right, the Pharaoh cuts a sheaf of grain with a sickle to present to the god. While these festival murals are immensely effective, the artists’ stylized treatment of the human form makes their battle scenes feel somewhat less dynamic.
At the back of the court, stairs lead upward. On the rear wall to the left [f], three rows of relief work depict Ramesses II as a family man with his eleven sons (bottom row). The middle row shows the hawk-headed god Montu holding the ankh (hieroglyph for life) before the king’s face (left), while the king kneels before the Theban triad as Thoth records his years on a palm leaf (right). In the top row, he makes a sacrifice to Ptah and offers incense to Min.
The main Hypostyle Hall (I), reached by a small flight of stairs at the center rear of the court, closely resembles the famous hall at Karnak. Both feature three aisles, with taller central columns topped by calyx capitals and lower side columns with bud capitals. As at Karnak, the height difference is bridged by a clerestory wall with openings to let in light. However, the Ramesseum’s hypostyle hall feels less cumbersome; its columns appear more graceful and better proportioned.
Throughout the hall, reliefs depict Ramesses II in battle. In the lower rows, troops storm the fortress of Dapur [d] using ladders. The Pharaoh dashes into the thick of the fray in his chariot (left), leaving the enemy in flight or scattered on the ground. To the right, attacking Egyptians scale the fortress walls under the protection of storming sheds and shields. The Pharaoh’s sons actively participated in this campaign and proved themselves worthy of their heroic father; each is clearly identifiable by his name engraved beside him.
On the western walls [e], the sons of Ramesses II are shown in the lower rows. Above them, the Pharaoh is followed by a goddess into the presence of Amun and Mut. Higher up, he is depicted before Amun and Khonsu, with the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet standing behind him.
Beyond the main hall lie two smaller hypostyle halls arranged one behind the other, leading into the remaining chambers that spread backward and sideways from the few standing walls.
When viewing the murals of the Ramesseum, which exclusively record wars of conquest and aggrandizement, one cannot help but recognize an early, masterful form of mass persuasion. On no monument, wall, column, or pylon is there a record of a single governmental setback, whether through internal unrest or military defeat. The Pharaoh is always the hero; his chronicles are always glorious.
None are more glorified than the accounts of Ramesses II. According to his royal scribe, Pentaur, when the Pharaoh and his chariot driver were separated from the army and hopelessly surrounded by the enemy at Kadesh, the fearless Ramesses charged the foe single-handed six times. He allegedly hewed them down with his sword, trampled them under his chariot wheels, overthrew 2500 enemy chariots, scattered 100,000 warriors, and drove the rest into the river.
Yet, Ramesses II’s feats on the home front require no poetic exaggeration; they stand today as undeniable proof of his abilities. He was the pharaoh who carved the heart out of a mountain at Abu Simbel to fashion a great hall and fifteen spacious chambers within. He faced this hollowed construction with four seated colossi that still tower 20 meters high.
Ramesses II will always remain a central, towering figure in Egyptian history. Given his tangible, enduring achievements, he can be easily forgiven for claiming full credit, here and there, for the work begun by his ancestors.
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