Learn about the Ramesseum Temple and the kingdom of Ramesses II

The Ramesseum Temple

The Ramesseum Temple is a funerary temple, located in the funerary city of Thebes in Upper Egypt, west of the Nile River, on the other side of the current city of Luxor. The Temple of Ramesseum is a funerary temple known as the Temple of Millions of Years and commemorates King Ramesses II. It is the only funerary temple on the western mainland, in which there are such roads that were only built in the temples of the gods such as Karnak and Luxor, where 3 roads were found for it from the western, northern and southern sides. In addition to the well-known southern road of the temple.

The Ramesseum Temple, built by King Ramses II on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Luxor, is one of the most important funerary temples left by the ancient Egyptians. It consists of the remains of broken Osirisian roads and columns, in addition to a huge edifice, half of which has collapsed. In addition, the temple includes the ruins of one of the largest statues. The world, which belongs to King Ramses II, is estimated to weigh 1,000 tons and is 16 meters long.

The statue was found fallen on its back, with dozens of stone blocks shattered, at the entrance to the Ramesseum Temple. Multiple accounts say that the statue was destroyed in the earthquake that struck the country in 27 BC, but modern archaeological studies have proven that it fell intentionally at the beginning of the Coptic era.

Temple wall inscriptions

The temple contains inscriptions decorating the temple wall detailing the events of the famous Battle of Kadesh, in which King Ramesses II defeated the Hittites, and how he planned the war.
The temple also contains inscriptions representing a scene of the king in his war chariot with the Hittite chariots above him as he tries to attack them, a scene representing the city of Kadesh within its fortified walls, and a scene of the king holding his enemies and striking them. On the opposite western wall there are inscriptions of the god Djehuti recording the king’s name on the leaves of the sacred tree. Then scenes of the king sitting in front of the sacred tree.
The temple is surrounded on its three sides by corridors and storerooms with domed mud-brick ceilings containing some stone architectural elements. They were most likely used to store grains, clothes, skins, pots of oil, wine, and beer. Some of them contained two rows of captains and are believed to be for priests and employees.

Efforts of the French archaeological mission

The joint Egyptian-French antiquities mission, which is excavating the Ramesseum Temple in the West Bank area of Luxor, found important remains of the temple dating back to the era of the 19th and 20th Dynasties. A group of public kitchens, butchery buildings, and huge warehouses were also found. In addition to the school, which was designated for educating the children of workers. The temple is surrounded by a huge mud-brick wall, 270 meters long and 175 meters wide.
Visiting the Ramesseum Temple offers a glimpse into the rich history of ancient Egypt and the efforts made to preserve its cultural heritage in the face of modern development.