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Memphis Open Air Museum: Guide to the Colossus and Ruins of Mit Rahina

The Memphis Open Air Museum (Mit Rahina) is a small but essential stop on any Saqqara itinerary. Located on the site of the ancient capital, this museum houses two of the most impressive statues in Egypt. The indoor section contains the limestone Colossus of Ramesses II, a 10-meter giant lying on its back that showcases exquisite artistic detail. Outside, the gardens hold the Alabaster Sphinx, the second largest in the country. Together, these ruins offer a tangible connection to the lost grandeur of the "City of White Walls."
  • Updated: November 27, 2025

Most tourists rush past Memphis. On their way to the pyramids of Saqqara, tour buses often treat the Memphis Open-Air Museum as a 20-minute restroom stop. This is a mistake. Located in the dusty village of Mit Rahina (which sits directly on top of the ancient capital), this museum holds a heavyweight champion of Egyptian art. It offers an experience you cannot get at the Giza Plateau or the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). At Giza, you look at the statues from a distance. At Mit Rahina, you can look a giant in the eye.

The Confusion: Which Colossus is This?

Before you visit, you must clarify which Ramesses you are seeing.

  • The Granite Colossus: This is the famous standing statue that used to be in Ramses Square. It has been moved to the atrium of the GEM.
  • The Limestone Colossus: This is the one at Mit Rahina. It is lying down. It never left Memphis because it was too heavy and too broken to steal.

Because it is lying on its back, you can walk on a bridge directly over the Pharaoh’s chest. You can see the muscles, the jewelry, and the hidden daggers closer than any other royal statue in Egypt. In this guide, we will walk you through the viewing gallery of the Fallen Giant, explore the mystery of the Alabaster Sphinx, and help you find the hidden Apis Bull embalming tables in the garden.

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Memphis Open-Air Museum: Fallen Giant (Limestone Colossus)

Ramses II at Memphis Museum - Egypt Fun Tours

The centerpiece of the museum is not outside. It is inside a specifically designed two-story building. Lying on its back in the center of the hall is the Colossus of Ramesses II.

The Discovery

In 1820, the Italian explorer Giovanni Battista Caviglia was digging in the ruins of the Temple of Ptah. He uncovered a massive limestone torso. It was a sensation. The British Museum wanted it. The local pasha offered it to them.

  • The Problem: It weighed over 80 tons and was missing its feet. The technology to ship a broken limestone giant to London simply didn’t exist.
  • The Result: It stayed exactly where it fell. Later, a shelter was built around it to protect it from the elements, creating the museum we see today.

The Viewing Experience

The museum building is designed perfectly for observation.

  1. Ground Floor: You enter at the base of the statue. From here, you feel the sheer mass of the stone. You are smaller than the Pharaoh’s hand.
  2. The Upper Gallery: You climb a staircase to a viewing bridge that runs the entire length of the statue’s body.

This bridge is the highlight. It allows you to hover just a few feet above the Pharaoh’s face. The perspective is intimate, almost intrusive. You are looking down at a god.

Artistic Details: What to Look For

Because you are so close, you can spot details that are usually invisible on standing statues.

  • The Dagger: Look closely at his belt. Tucked into the waistband is an intricately carved dagger with a falcon-headed handle. This marks Ramesses not just as a king, but as a warrior prepared for battle.
  • The Cartouches: On his right shoulder and chest, the sculptors carved his royal names (prenomen and nomen) deeply into the stone. They are practically branded onto his skin.
  • The Anatomy: Look at the knees. Even though Egyptian art is stylized, the sculptor understood human anatomy perfectly. The tension in the quadriceps and the structure of the kneecap are hyper-realistic.
  • The White Crown: He is wearing the Hedjet, the conical White Crown of Upper Egypt. This suggests this statue originally stood as part of a pair (the other likely wearing the Red Crown of Lower Egypt).

This statue is not just a piece of stone; it is a masterclass in propaganda. Even lying broken on its back for 3,000 years, it still commands absolute submission.

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The Guardian of the Garden (The Alabaster Sphinx)

Transit Tour to Saqqara, Memphis & Tourist Bazaar from Airport - Memphis open-air museum

Walk out of the shelter and into the garden. A different kind of giant waits for you. It is the Alabaster Sphinx.

Memphis Open-Air Museum: The Mystery Sphinx

This statue is an anomaly.

  • The Material: Most sphinxes are limestone or sandstone. This one is carved from a massive block of Calcite (often called Alabaster). It glows a creamy yellow-white in the sun.
  • The Scale: It weighs 80 tons and measures 8 meters long. It is the second-largest sphinx in Egypt, dwarfed only by the Great Sphinx at Giza.

The Identity Crisis: However, it has no name. The inscription is missing. Consequently, historians must guess who it represents based on the style of the face.

  • Theory A: Amenhotep II (18th Dynasty). The facial features match his other statues.
  • Theory B: Hatshepsut. Some scholars argue that the face looks feminine and the style matches her reign.
  • Theory C: Ramesses II. He put his name on everything else in Memphis; perhaps he commissioned this, too.

Regardless of who it is, the craftsmanship is undeniable. The striations in the stone give the lion’s body a texture that looks almost like fur.

The Location

Unlike the Giza Sphinx, which guards a necropolis (city of the dead), this sphinx guarded a temple (city of the living).

  • The Discovery: Archaeologists found it in 1912. It was lying on its side in a waterlogged ditch nearby.
  • The Restoration: They raised it and placed it here on a concrete pedestal. It stands as a silent witness to the original entrance of the Temple of Ptah.

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Memphis Open-Air Museum: The Scatters

The Scatters (Other Ruins in the Garden) - Memphis open-air museum

The garden surrounding the Sphinx looks like a graveyard of statues. It is an “architectural park.” You can walk freely among the debris of the lost capital.

The Embalming Beds

Walk to the back of the garden. You will find massive blocks of alabaster carved into the shape of beds.

  • The Design: They feature lion heads at the top and slant downward toward a drain hole.
  • The Purpose: These were not for humans. They were for the Apis Bull.
  • The Process: Priests used these tables to mummify the sacred bulls. The slant allowed fluids to drain away during the embalming process. This is the only place in Egypt where you can see the industrial side of the Apis cult.

The Hathor Capitals

Scattered in the grass are the tops of stone columns. Look for the ones with a woman’s face and cow ears.

  • The Goddess: This is Hathor, the goddess of love and music.
  • The Context: These capitals likely held up the roof of a temple dedicated to her, or perhaps the harem palace of the king.

The Granite Coffins

You will also stumble upon massive granite boxes. These are sarcophagi. However, they are empty. They serve as a reminder that Memphis was constantly looted and reused. These heavy boxes were simply too difficult for thieves to drag away.

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Practical Guide (Visiting Memphis Open-Air Museum)

The Memphis Open Air Museum is not in Cairo. It is in the countryside. Therefore, you need a plan.

How to Get There

Public transport to Mit Rahina is difficult and unreliable.

  • The Best Option: Hire a private driver or book a “Saqqara & Memphis” day tour.
  • The Route: It is located about 20km south of Giza. It usually takes 45 minutes to drive there from the Pyramids.
  • The Combo: Combine this stop with Saqqara (The Step Pyramid) and Dahshur (The Bent Pyramid). Memphis sits right in the middle.

Timing & Tickets

  • Opening Hours: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (5:00 PM in summer).
  • Time Needed: You only need 45 minutes to 1 hour. It is a compact site.
  • The Heat: Visit in the morning. Most of the museum is outdoors with little shade.
  • Tickets: You must buy a ticket at the gate. It is separate from the Saqqara ticket. (Check current prices on the Ministry website, as they change annually.)

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A Giant in a Village

The Colossus of Ramesses II in Memphis - Memphis open-air museum

Memphis is a small site, but it packs a punch. At Giza, the monuments are far away. You feel small. At the Memphis Open Air Museum, the monuments are within reach. You feel connected.

Nowhere else in Egypt can you stand inches away from the face of Ramesses II. You can trace the dagger on his belt. You can touch the alabaster of the Sphinx. It offers an intimacy that the mega-museums cannot match. It is a quiet, dusty reminder that beneath this simple village lies the greatest capital of the ancient world.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here are quick answers to the most common questions about the Memphis Open Air Museum.

Is the Memphis Museum worth visiting?

Yes. Although small, it contains the limestone Colossus of Ramesses II, which is one of the finest statues in Egypt. It is a quick and easy stop on the way to Saqqara.

Which statue of Ramesses is at Memphis?

The museum houses the fallen limestone colossus. The other famous statue (the granite standing colossus) was moved from Ramses Square to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza.

How much time do I need in Memphis?

You need about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The site is compact. You can view the indoor colossus in 20 minutes and spend another 30 minutes exploring the garden ruins.

Can I touch the statues?

Generally, no. You cannot touch the limestone Colossus inside the building. However, in the garden, restrictions are often looser, and you can get very close to the granite sarcophagi and architectural fragments.

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