Summary
- Ramses II, a prolific ruler in ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom, built the Ramesseum as his mortuary temple, celebrating his 67-year reign and expansive empire.
- Situated on the west side of the Nile River, this temple features grand architecture, including a colossal statue of Ramses the Great, a courtyard, and a hypostyle hall with 48 columns.
- The Ramesseum is famed for inspiring Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias.” It also houses the Ramesseum Medical Papyrus, a rare collection of detailed ancient medical documents.
- In the Middle Kingdom, the temple’s granaries and storehouses played a crucial role in providing sustenance to workers and dependents, highlighting its economic importance.
- Hieroglyphic inscriptions and reliefs within the temple depict scenes from Ramses II’s reign, military victories, and offerings to celestial gods, underscoring its significance in understanding ancient Egyptian culture.
- As part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Theban Necropolis, the Ramesseum endures as a lasting monument to Ramses the Great and a window into the grandeur of ancient Egypt.
Ozymandias, Ramses the Great wished to further immortalize his legacy by constructing a magical house of millions of years of User Maat-Ra that unity the whole city of Thebes with the spectrum of Amun. The Ramesseum temple acts as a time vault filled with memories showcasing the blessed moments and beliefs from the lives of great men and women who created the most incredible civilization the world has ever seen.
This article provides an informative exploration of the Ramesseum, delving into its history, architecture, significance, and contemporary relevance in understanding ancient Egypt.
The Location of Ramesseum
The Ramesseum was used as the mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramses the Great (1279 – 1213 BC) located in Upper Egypt in the Theban Necropolis on the Westside of the Nile River across Luxor city and 100 km (62 miles) in the northeast of Cairo which is dedicated for Ra the sun god.
Who Built the Ramesseum
Ramses the Great gained the reputation as one of the most influential kings in the history of the New Kingdom of Egypt (1550 – 1070 BC) who was also a prolific builder all over Luxor and Aswan. Ramses II (1279 – 1213 BC) ruled for 67 years and he was able to expand his empire in all directions. The Ramesseum temple was dedicated to protecting and displaying his influence and power.
History of Ramesseum Temple
The Ramesseum temple was constructed by Ramses the Great plus enlarged by a number of ancient Egyptian kings such as Ramsess III and Mernptah. One of the most captivating constructions in the Ramesseum temple is the colossal statue of Ramses the Great which is more than 1000 tons in weight and reaches a height of 18m it was referred to as Memnonium Temple which was associated with their Memnon legendary hero who is the son of Aurora was happens to be the son of Eos the goddess of Dawn.
The enchanting Ramesseum temple was the inspiration behind the poem of Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Some of the most detailed information about the descriptions and inscriptions of the temple was from Diodorus the Roman historian. It was unfortunately not preserved as Abu Simbel temple and Karnak plus it was extensively restored in 1896 by William Flinders Petrie the Egyptologist who the Isreal Stella of Mernptah who was mentioned in the book of Exodus.
Design of Ramesseum Temple
The Ramesseum temple has various remains of the toppled colossus of King Ramesses the Great which stood over 6 stories high. It was the biggest freestanding statue ever made in Egypt and the largest sculpture ever made anywhere on earth. The decoration found on the grand columns of the hypostyle hall showcases the craftsmanship of that era.
The Ramesseum temple measurements of 220 ft by 600 ft and has the main entrance on its eastern pylon which is decorated with the battle of Kadesh scenes between the Hittites and Ramses II plus on the right side of the pylon is a list of the 118 cities that King Ramses II was able to conquer. In the courtyard of the entrance is a legendary status of Ramsess which holds a text at its feet that translates as “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair“.
In the grand hypostyle hall, there are 48 columns that remain standing also reflecting scenes from the battle of Kadesh. There is also a much older temple which was constructed by Seti I that is dedicated to Amun-Ra on the outside of the hypostyle hall. The second courtyard is in much better condition as it holds two rows of the ruler of the underworld Osiris which represents King Ramses the Great. In the south is a small hypostyle hall that holds eight papyrus bud columns. There is a hall of astronomy where there are 12 months illustrated calendars.
There are also scenes of offerings and the divine boat of Amun Ra. On the western hall of the Ramesseum temple is the image of Ramsess the Great sitting under the life tree where the god of knowledge Thoth and the goddess Seshat are recording his name across the leaves of the tree to bless him with long life. On the western side of the temple are two vestibules that lead to a library, a linen room, and a sanctuary dedicated to Amun-Ra. In the south of the Ramesseum temple is the small temple of Mern-Ptah the main successor of Ramses II.
Ramesseum Papyrus
The Ramesseum Medical Papyrus was a collection of magnificent ancient Egyptian medical documents that date all the way to the 18th century BC that was found in the golden Ramesseum temple. The papyri deal with a number of medical subjects such as the structure of the body, diseases, and ailments, and mention many remedies and cures that can heal different kinds of afflictions which are gynecology, ophthalmologic ailments, tendons, muscles, and diseases of children.
It is highly famous and very important as it is one of a kind and by far the only papyrus in existence that describes everything in great detail. The majority of these texts found in the famous manuscripts of this epic collection are found in the third, fourth, and fifth parts which are displayed in vertical columns. Papyrus IV showcases a number of Issues which is similar to the Kahun Gynecological Papyrus which are pregnancy labor, newborn protection, the best way to predict the rate of survival, and ideal methods to predict the gender of the newborn. The papyrus also contains a contraception formula. There are a number of various prescriptions in papyrus V that deal with the relaxation of the limbs which are written in hieroglyphics instead of hieratic like the majority of all the other medical texts.
Ramesseum Granaries
The granaries and storehouses were made of mudbricks at the great site of the temple of Ramesses the Great which was shaped from cultivated land that was fertilized by the Nile.
The granaries were created at the height of the middle kingdom which acted as a powerful economic powerhouse that was responsible for feeding countless dependents and workers.
Facts about Ramesseum
- The Ramesseum was established by Ozymandias during his reign from 1279 to 1213 BC which lasted for 66 years.
- The temple holds fragments of a gigantic statue of Ramses the Great which weighs over 1000 tons and are found in its main entrance.
- It is famous for bringing a powerful and inspiring feat of architecture that feature a great pylon (entrance gate), a central courtyard, a hypostyle hall with 48 columns, and sanctuaries dedicated to a number of ancient Egyptian gods and goddess.
- The Ramesseum is enchanted with many magical hieroglyphic inscriptions and reliefs that depict scenes from Ramses II’s reign, his military victories, and offerings to the celestial gods like Ptah, Ra-Horakhty, and Amun as seen across all the chapels and religious structures.
- During the reign of Ramses II’s successor Merneptah, the Ramesseum suffered from natural vandalism, decay, and quarry across the ages.
- The Ramessum was the source of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s famous poem “Ozymandias” which reflects on the transience of great human achievements and the eventual decline of even the mightiest empires that stood the test of time.
- The Ramesseum is part of the larger Theban Necropolis which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and thus recognizes its historical and cultural significance to humanity which offers a glimpse into the grandeur of ancient Egyptian temples
