Colossal Ramesses II at the Grand Egyptian Museum
This colossal statue of Ramesses II, also known as the illustrious Ramesses the Great (c. 1279–1213 B.C.), is hewn from radiant red granite quarried at Aswan. It was unearthed in 1820 by the Italian explorer Giovanni Battista Caviglia at Mit Rahina, ancient Memphis, where it once stood proudly on the southern flank of the Temple of Ptah, sentinel of the sacred precinct.
Ramesses the Great: Egypt’s King of Kings, by Toby Wilkinson (#aff)
Rising an impressive 11 metres (36 ft) and weighing nearly 83 tonnes, the statue lay fragmented for more than a century before its grand revival. In the 1950s, under President Gamal Abdel Nasser, it was transported to Ramses Square in Cairo, where it greeted the bustling city as a symbol of national pride. To shield it from the city’s fumes, the colossus was carefully moved once more in 2006 to the Giza Plateau, awaiting its final resting place. Then, on a January morning in 2018, the 3,200-year-old giant made its majestic journey into the atrium of the Grand Egyptian Museum, where it now welcomes visitors as the eternal guardian of Egypt’s ancient splendour.
The Mummies of Ramesses II and his Forefathers
Ramesses II stands in magnificent solitude, beneath the soaring glass canopy of the Grand Egyptian Museum and reflected upon a tranquil pool of water. The pharaoh strides forward in the traditional Ancient Egyptian pose, with his left leg advanced, symbolising eternal movement and vitality.
Nefertari, the beloved wife of Ramesses II
He is bare-chested, a pectoral hovering a few inches above his belly button. The contours of his broad shoulders and powerful arms harmonised with a serene, idealised grace. Upon his brow rests the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, set atop the striped nemes headdress and adorned with the atef feathers sacred to Osiris, proclaiming both kingship and divinity.
His hands are clenched around cylindrical objects long thought to represent royal seals, though their true meaning remains a mystery. Around his wrists gleam carved cuffs, while cartouches bearing his royal names are etched upon each shoulder. The belt is engraved with his throne name, User-Maat-Re Setep-en-Re, and a dagger lies carved upon his hip, it’s handle protruding over his belt, an emblem of strength and divine protection.
Colossal of Ramesses II at Memphis
Despite the colossal scale and air of dominion, there is a softness in his expression; the characteristic Ancient Egyptian calm that tempers might with mercy. His full lips and tranquil eyes seem almost to reassure the onlooker: though he is a god-king of unyielding power, his face speaks of order, balance, and the enduring promise that all will, indeed, be well. He is the one to bring order out of chaos, the eternal sought after Ma’at.
