Ramesseum Temple • 13th century BC
Pharaoh Ramses II
About
The Temple of the Ramesseum was built by Ramses II as a funerary Temple in 1304-1207 B.C and was dedicated to the god Ra. Most of the Temple is in ruins today. The entrance to the temple once had two pylons that have since collapsed.. Ramesses II ruled during the height of Ancient Egyptian power and glory during the 13th century BC from 1279-1213 BC. The king’s incredible wealth, popularity and vanity led to one of the largest and most grandiose of mortuary temples. The Ramesseum is located in the Theban Necropolis, a popular area for mortuary temples for Pharaohs in the New Kingdom. The Theban Necropolis is located in Upper Egypt and stands across the Nile from the modern day city of Luxor. It is dedicated to the memory of Ramesses II and to the God Amon Ra.
Tomb of Osymandias
O ver the years, The Ramesseum has been referred to by many names including “Tomb of Osymandias”, “The Temple of Millions of Years United with Thebes,” and “Memnonium”. French scholar Jean-François Champollion was the first to identify the ruins as belonging to Ramesses II and coined the name, “The Ramesseum” back in 1829..
Ramesseum Tentyris: The Shining Great Temple Complex ( 光輝の大複合神殿ラムセウム・テンティリス , Kōki no Dai Fukugō ShindenRamuseumu Tentirisu ?) is the Noble Phantasm of Ozymandias. It is his greatest trump card, similar to and a kind of Reality Marble. The Great Temple Complex, the might of the Pharoah Ozymandias, embodied as a Noble Phantasm.[1][2] It is the manifestation of how the glorious Pharaoh contains within his body the various Egyptian gods, thus it contains a number of mystics. It appears as a giant complex consisting of temples and corridors, and the central pyramid, the Ramesseum Great Temple Complex, acts as the main temple and throne room.
Design
Adhering to standard criterion of New Kingdom temple architecture, The Ramesseum measures 600 feet (183m) by 220 feet (67m), which is unusually large. Today, the temple is in ruins but visitors are still able to enjoy the hands from the enormous 57 foot (17m) high statue of Ramesses II which once stood in front of the very first pylon to the temple. It probably weighed at least 1,000 tons. At the base it reads: “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair.”
The main entrance stood at the eastern situated pylon and was decorated with reliefs of scenes from the Battle of Kadesh, the Festival of Min and the Syrian Wars. On the right wing of the pylon are depictions of the cities that Ramesses II conquered during his popular reign, as well as depictions of prisoners being taken to the King. The left wing of the pylon reflects the famous battle between Ramesses II and the Hittites. In the first courtyard, only one colonnade remains.
The Ramesseum houses a Hypostyle hall which is a grand interior space where pillars and columns hold up the roof. Presently, 29 columns still stand in the Ramesseum’s Hypostyle hall. To allow in light, the middle columns are shorter than the outer edge columns. It also featured traceried windows. Depicted on the columns are additional scenes of the Battle of Kadesh.
Two rows of Osiris columns represent Ramesses II in the second courtyard, where the best preserved statues can be found. This courtyard is in far better condition than the first. Situated to the south of this second courtyard is a second but smaller Hypostyle hall that at one time boasted eight papyrus-bud columns. Also called the Astronomy Hall, the very first 12-month calendar is illustrated here. On the western wall is a scene depicting Ramesses II getting his name recorded on the tree of life by the God Thoth and the Goddess Seshat, to ensure a long, everlasting life.
To the west lay two vestibules that are today in ruin. These vestibules lead to a library and a linen room and what was once a sanctuary dedicated to Amon Ra. It was here that Ramesses II built a mud break palace where he stayed during visits to his mortuary temple.
Display of Great Wealth
Aside from its enormous size and the 57 foot high statue of Ramesses II, the Ramesseum also contained the earliest arches in history. These arches were barrel shaped and used for storing funerary materials, worker possessions and were enormous storerooms of grain and corn. In ancient Egypt, grain was considered like gold and an abundance of it was stored in these granaries with arches. This grain was shipped around the country and it is also speculated that the larger temples like the Ramesseum had their own merchant ships outfitted with traders. These granaries served as lavish representations of the Pharaoh’s great wealth.
The Ramesseum Features
Pharaoh Ramses II, ruler of Egypt for 67 years in the 19th Dynasty, built his mortuary temple, the Ramesseum, as a statement of his eternal greatness and to impress his subjects.
The huge complex, which took more than 20 years to complete, now lies largely in ruins. Dedicated to Amun, it once boasted an 18-m (60-ft) high, 1,000-tonne colossus of Ramses, parts of which lie scattered around the site
The complex also included a smaller temple dedicated to Ramses’s mother Tuya and his wife Nefertari, as well as a royal palace and storehouses..
Head of the Colossus of Ramses The shattered head and shoulders of the immense colossus of Ramses now lie in the second court. An image of this evocative sight inspired Percy Bysshe Shelley to write his famous poem “Ozymandias”.
RECONSTRUCTION OF THE RAMESSEUMThis reconstruction shows how the Ramesseum would have looked when it was completed in around 1250 BC. The flooding of the Nile and earthquakes later took their toll, leaving today’s atmospheric ruins.
First Pylon
The imposing first pylon was decorated with scenes of Ramses in battle. Sadly, an earthquake badly damaged the pylon, and the gateway to the first court is now supported by concrete.
Hypostyle Hall Plant Capital
The hypostyle hall roof is. supported by tall columns. & The still colorful B patterns of papyrus and lotus plants W symbolize the union of Lower and Upper Egypt.
Mudbrick Stores
Innumerable vaulted mudbrick magazines once surrounded the temple, used as storerooms, workshops and living quarters.
Foundations of the Temple of Tuya
A small temple dedicated to Ramses’s mother Tuya and his wife Nefertari stood to the north of the hypostyle hall.