Located in the Theban necropolis in Upper Egypt across the river Nile from the modern city of Luxor, The Ramesseum is the memorial Temple Of Pharaoh Ramesses II. It was dedicated to God Amon and the deceased king, but later many other kings also have superimposed monuments in the Ramesseum such as Memptah and Ramses III. It was built during the period 1304-1207 BC and is thought to inspire the poem ‘Ozymandias’ by English poet Shelly.
The temple is famous for its 57-foot seated statue of Ramses II, only fragments of which are left now. Ramesseum’s walls are decorated with reliefs depicting scenes from the Battle of Kadesh, the Syrian wars, and the Festival of Min. In front of the ruins of the first pylon, there used to be 1000-ton, the 18-metre high colossal statue of Ramses, the remains of which are still visible today.
One could see Ramses II sitting under the tree of life on the western wall, where the God Thoth and Goddess Seshat are recording his name in the lives of the tree for long life. Further, into the western side, there is a library, linen room and a sanctuary dedicated to God Amon-Ra. To the south of the section lies the small Temple Of Mern-Ptah, the successor of Ramses II.
Although the temple has not survived much to the onslaughts of time, it is beautiful in its way of mortality. It truly speaks of the nature that nothing lasts forever. A visit to the Temple Of Ramesseum filled with serenity, calmness and a feel for the people that have been there.