The Ramesseum Temple
In 1304-1207 B.C., Ramses II erected the Ramesseum Temple as a funeral temple devoted to the God Ra. The majority of the Ramesseum Temple is currently in a state of disrepair or destruction. Two pylons that previously stood near the Temple’s entrance have since collapsed. There is just a colonnaded hall that has survived in the Temple’s initial courtyard.
A huge sculpture of Ramses once stood in front of the remains of the first pylon, weighing more than 1000 tonnes and standing 18 meters tall! The ruins of it can still be seen today. Many other kings, like Mernptah and Ramses III, have overlaid monuments at the Ramesseum.
The Ramesseum Temple by King Ramses II
The Greeks called the Ramesseum Temple the Temple of Memnonium because they linked the huge statue in front of it with Memnon, the son of Aurora, the goddess of dawn. They also referred to it as “Ozymandias’ tomb,” a term that may have been derived from the ancient Egyptian word “User-Maat-Ra”.
Diodorus, a Roman historian, believed the legendary King Ozymandias built the temple and his grave was inside. Diodorus goes into great detail about Ozymandias’s tomb. He even includes the door’s inscription: “I am Ozymandias, King of Kings. If anyone wants to know how great I am and where I lay, let him surpass any of my efforts.” The Ramesseum Temple is 600 feet long and 220 feet wide. The main entrance was on the eastern pylon. This pylon was originally adorned with scenes from the Battle of Kadesh, but it is now in ruins. The right wing of the pylon has inscriptions reflecting the 118 towns Ramses III captured during his military expeditions.
Captives and Battle Scenes
You’ll also see footage of captives brought before the King. The left wing of the pylon shows the historic battle between Ramses II and the Hittites. After that, you’ll enter the first open courtyard. Here, you’ll see a number of broken sculptures. The Ramesseum Temple once had a gigantic statue of Ramses II with the inscription: “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair.”
Hypostyle Hall and Courtyards
The vast hypostyle hall still has 29 columns. The central columns are shorter than the ones on the sides. This lets light into the Temple. You can see more scenes from the Battle of Kadesh on the left. To the right of this hall, outside its walls, is a much earlier temple. Seti I built it and dedicated it to the god Amon Ra. The second courtyard is in better condition than the first. It has two rows of Osiris columns symbolizing Ramses II on both sides.
The Halls and Palace
A tiny hypostyle hall further south once held eight papyrus-bud columns. This is where the astronomy hall is and where you can see the first 12-month calendar. This chamber shows scenes and depictions of Amon Ra’s holy boat. On the western wall, Ramses II sits beneath the Tree of Life. The gods Thoth and Seshat write his name on the tree’s leaves for a long life. Further west, the remnants of two vestibules lead to a library, a linen room, and the badly destroyed shrine devoted to the god Amon Ra.
