Temple of Ramesses II (the Ramesseum)

Luxor West Bank - Temples

Temple of Ramesses II - The dynastic temples of Ramesses II are scattered all over Egypt, but this one - his mortuary temple on the West Bank of Thebes - is probably the most famous. Champollion was the first to give it the now commonly used name "Ramesseum". The Ramesseum stands on the eastern side of the road in Abd el-Gurna.
The collapsed state of the structure that we see today developed over time, with flood waters once reaching almost to the eastern temple of the first pylon. It is still possible, however, to climb the side of the pylon and stand at the top, which gives a good overview of the temple and the cultivated land towards the river. The outer surface was originally carved with scenes of Ramesses before various gods in the traditional style. The inner surface shows reliefs of the Battle of Kadesh. The temple buildings are surrounded by a series of mud-brick storehouses, which have surprisingly survived in good condition. It is suggested that a school chapel stood among these buildings. Many of these magazines still keep their vaulting and were probably ignored by those who later re-used the blocks of the stone walls. The whole temple complex is surrounded by mud-brick walls.
The Ramesseum has been comprehensively excavated and restored by a team of French and Egyptian archaeologists over the last few decades.