# Ramesseum, Luxor > The Ramesseum is Ramesses II's mortuary temple on Luxor's West Bank, home to the toppled granite colossus linked to Shelley's "Ozymandias", Osiris pillars and Battle of Kadesh reliefs. Foreign adults pay EGP 220, students EGP 110. It opens daily at 6:00; last entry is 17:00 in summer, 16:00 in winter. Allow 45 minutes to an hour. Web page: https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/ramesseum - City: [Luxor](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor), Egypt - YesGo score: 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Entry: EGP 220, students EGP 110 - With kids: Fine with kids - Foreign adult: EGP 220; students up to 24 with a valid student ID EGP 110 - Children: Under 6 free - Hours: Daily from 6:00; last entry 17:00 in summer, 16:00 in winter and Ramadan - Where to buy: Online at the official Egymonuments site; on site at the West Bank antiquities inspectorate office — a desk at the gate isn't confirmed - Time needed: 45 minutes to an hour - Location: West Bank, by Qurna village, about 1 km north of the Colossi of Memnon - Getting there: Ferry plus a 10–15-min taxi, or about 30 min by car via the bridge - Payment: Visa and Mastercard at official ticket channels; cash pounds for ferries and taxis - Photos: Free with a phone - Coordinates: 25.72778, 32.61056 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **Ramesses II** — 19th-Dynasty pharaoh, reigned c. 1279–1213 BC — the temple was built for his cult (source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; English Wikipedia) - **≈ 1,000 t** — weight of the granite colossus; about 17–19 m tall, it now lies in pieces (source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Ozymandias** — the Greek name for Ramesses II and the title of Shelley's sonnet, published in 1818 (source: English Wikipedia: Ozymandias; Ancient Egypt Online) - **Battle of Kadesh** — Ramesses II's clash with the Hittites, carved on the pylons (source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **48 columns** — held up the hypostyle hall roof; most are still standing (source: English Wikipedia; Ancient Egypt Online; Russian Wikipedia) - **Astronomical ceiling** — constellations of the night sky survive in the room behind the hypostyle hall (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Ancient Egypt Online) - **1829** — Champollion read Ramesses' name here and coined the name Rhamesséion (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities) - **Younger Memnon** — the upper half of another Ramesses II statue from here, removed by Belzoni in 1816, now in the British Museum (source: English Wikipedia: Younger Memnon; British Museum (Google Arts & Culture)) - **Ramesseum Papyri** — Middle Kingdom medical and magical texts from a tomb beneath the temple, found by James Quibell in 1896 (source: English Wikipedia; The Past) - **Mudbrick vaults** — vaulted granaries and storerooms behind the temple held its grain and supplies (source: English Wikipedia; Egypt Fun Tours) - **House of Life** — a temple school found by the Egyptian-French mission, which is also rebuilding the colossi of Ramesses II and Queen Tuya (source: Archaeology magazine; The Past; Russian Wikipedia) > **Come for the colossus, not intact walls** The Ramesseum is badly ruined — Nile floods undermined it and later builders carted off its stone. What's left is still striking: a shattered thousand-tonne statue, a row of Osiris pillars and a forest of columns. It's quiet, half the price of Hatshepsut, and right on the road between the big West Bank sights. ## How much are Ramesseum tickets? Foreign adults pay **EGP 220** and students up to 24 with a valid student ID **EGP 110**, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' official Egymonuments ticketing. Children under 6 go free, and phone photography costs nothing. There are no extra tickets inside. Tickets are dated and non-refundable. The simplest option is to buy online through Egymonuments, which takes Visa and Mastercard. Guides say that on site, Ramesseum tickets are sold at the West Bank antiquities inspectorate office rather than at the gate, and that office keeps shorter hours than the monuments — so don't count on turning up and paying at the entrance. Older blogs quote EGP 60–160; those prices are out of date. The Luxor Pass reportedly covers the Ramesseum too, but that's unofficial. Ferries and West Bank taxis take cash in Egyptian pounds only, so carry small notes. ## Opening hours The Ramesseum opens **every day at 6:00**. Last entry is **17:00 in summer** and **16:00 in winter and during Ramadan**, and the ministry asks visitors to arrive at least an hour before closing. It keeps the same hours as Medinet Habu, Hatshepsut's temple and the Valley of the Kings. There's almost no shade, so the best times are the first hours after opening or late afternoon. Midday in the open courts is punishing for most of the year. ## The Ozymandias statue The reason most people come is the **fallen colossus**. This seated statue of Ramesses II, cut from Aswan granite, weighed around **1,000 tonnes** and stood roughly 17–19 m high — the ministry and encyclopaedias give slightly different figures. Its huge fragments, led by the head, now lie by the second pylon. Greek writers called Ramesses II **Ozymandias**, from his throne name Usermaatre, and Diodorus of Sicily described this temple as the "Tomb of Ozymandias". Percy Bysshe Shelley published his sonnet "Ozymandias" in 1818, about a traveller who finds a shattered statue of a boastful king in the desert. Shelley never came to Egypt, so the link to this colossus is a tradition rather than a fact on record. A second statue from the temple did reach Britain: the upper half known as the **Younger Memnon**, removed by Giovanni Belzoni in 1816 and now in the British Museum. ## What to see at the Ramesseum - **The first pylon** — inside, reliefs of the Battle of Kadesh, with Ramesses II's chariots charging the Hittites. - **The fallen colossus** by the second pylon — the head and broken pieces of the granite giant. Stand beside it for scale. - **The second court and Osiris pillars** — the king as Osiris, arms crossed on his chest. This is the classic postcard shot. - **The hypostyle hall** — rows of papyrus-stem columns, with ritual and battle scenes on the walls. - **The astronomical room** behind it — a ceiling mapped with the stars and constellations of the night sky. - **The mudbrick granaries** at the back — long vaulted storerooms that few visitors bother to walk round. - **The temple of Tuya and Nefertari** beside the hall — foundations of a shrine to the king's mother and wife. ## What is the Ramesseum? It's the **mortuary temple of Ramesses II**, built in sandstone in the 13th century BC. The king was buried in the Valley of the Kings; here, on the edge of the farmland, priests kept his cult going. Its ancient name was the "House of millions of years of Usermaatre-setepenre, united with Thebes". The plan is the classic one — two pylons, two courts, a great hypostyle hall, smaller halls and a sanctuary — wrapped in mudbrick storerooms, bakeries, kitchens and workshops. Ramesses III later copied the layout for his own temple at Medinet Habu. An Egyptian-French mission is still excavating and restoring the site, and in 2025 it announced evidence of a "House of Life" school inside the walls. Beneath the temple, James Quibell found a much older Middle Kingdom tomb in 1896 containing a box of papyri — medical recipes, spells and rituals now known as the **Ramesseum Papyri**. They're mainly in the British Museum and in Berlin, not on site. ## How to get to the Ramesseum 1. Start at Luxor Temple on the Corniche — the public ferry to the West Bank leaves from the landing right beside it. 2. Take the ferry across: a few minutes and a few pounds (unofficial). 3. On the West Bank, take a taxi from the landing: the temple is about 4 km away as the crow flies, 10–15 minutes. There are no meters, so agree the fare first — ideally for a full West Bank loop with waiting time. 4. No change of transport: a taxi or the inDrive app (cash only) from the centre over the bridge south of town, about 30 minutes. 5. Ask for "Ramesseum" — it sits on the road up to Hatshepsut's temple, about 1 km north of the [Colossi of Memnon](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/colossi-of-memnon). 6. Carry on with the same driver to [Medinet Habu](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/medinet-habu), about 1.3 km south-west as the crow flies. ## Is the Ramesseum worth visiting? Yes, if you like ancient history, know the poem, or want a big temple almost to yourself. An hour gets you the colossus, the Osiris pillars and a peaceful wander through the columns. It slots neatly between [Hatshepsut's temple](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/hatshepsut-temple) and Medinet Habu, so the detour is tiny. Skip it if you only have one West Bank morning. The [Valley of the Kings](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/valley-of-the-kings) and Hatshepsut come first, and if you want a single mortuary temple, Medinet Habu is better preserved and still has its paint. Kids tend to love the giant stone head more than the reliefs — bring hats, as there's little shade. ## Before you go - [ ] Dated ticket bought online for the right day - [ ] Student ID if I'm under 24 - [ ] Cash Egyptian pounds for the ferry and taxi - [ ] West Bank loop agreed with a driver - [ ] Water, hat and sunscreen — there's almost no shade - [ ] Arriving at least an hour before last entry ## Ramesseum vs nearby temples | | Ramesseum | Medinet Habu | Temple of Hatshepsut | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Mortuary temple of Ramesses II | Mortuary temple of Ramesses III | Terraced temple of Queen Hatshepsut | | Foreign adult | EGP 220 | EGP 220 | EGP 440 | | Students | EGP 110 | EGP 110 | EGP 220 | | Hours | From 6:00, last entry 17:00 summer, 16:00 winter | From 6:00, last entry 17:00 summer, 16:00 winter | From 6:00, last entry 17:00 summer, 16:00 winter | | Highlight | Fallen colossus and Osiris pillars | Fortress gate and painted reliefs | Three terraces against the cliffs | | Time needed | 45 min to an hour | 1–1.5 hours | About an hour | Fares and hours from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' official ticketing system. Time needed is YesGo's estimate. ## Luxor's historic sites compared Every historic site in Luxor that YesGo has scored. - [Luxor Temple](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/luxor-temple) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 15 min · EGP 500, students EGP 250 - [Karnak Temple](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/karnak-temple) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h 30 min · EGP 600, students EGP 300 - [Colossi of Memnon](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/colossi-of-memnon) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free, no ticket - [Valley of the Kings](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/valley-of-the-kings) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · EGP 750, Tutankhamun extra - [Temple of Hatshepsut](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/hatshepsut-temple) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · EGP 440, students EGP 220 - [Avenue of Sphinxes](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/avenue-of-sphinxes) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free to view (unofficial) - [Ramesseum](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/ramesseum) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · EGP 220, students EGP 110 - [Luxor Museum](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/luxor-museum) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · EGP 400, students EGP 200 - [Medinet Habu](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/medinet-habu) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · EGP 220, students EGP 110 - [Valley of the Queens](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/valley-of-the-queens) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · EGP 220, Nefertari closed ## The West Bank in a day Valley of the Kings at opening, then Hatshepsut, the Ramesseum on the way south, Medinet Habu after lunch and the Colossi of Memnon on the road back to the ferry. Add it to your route — YesGo sets the timings and transfers. 1. [Valley of the Kings](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/valley-of-the-kings) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · EGP 750, Tutankhamun extra 2. [Temple of Hatshepsut](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/hatshepsut-temple) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · EGP 440, students EGP 220 3. [Ramesseum](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/ramesseum) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · EGP 220, students EGP 110 4. [Medinet Habu](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/medinet-habu) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · EGP 220, students EGP 110 5. [Colossi of Memnon](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/colossi-of-memnon) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free, no ticket ## Don't confuse The Ramesseum is Ramesses II's temple on the West Bank. Medinet Habu, further south, is Ramesses III's copy of it. Abu Simbel is Ramesses II's rock-cut temple far to the south on Lake Nasser. And the standing colossi of Ramesses II in the city centre belong to Luxor Temple on the East Bank. ## Tips - Start at the first pylon and the Kadesh reliefs, then walk to the colossus — the temple makes more sense from entrance to sanctuary. - Shoot the colossus head from ground level to show how much bigger it is than a person. - Walk round the mudbrick granaries at the back; almost nobody does, and ancient mudbrick vaults like these are rare. - If you're doing Medinet Habu the same day, see the Ramesseum first — it's closer to Hatshepsut and the Valley of the Kings. - It's pronounced "ram-eh-SEE-um"; West Bank drivers also understand "Ramses temple". - In the evening, cross back to [Luxor Temple](https://yesgo.io/egypt/luxor/luxor-temple) to see Ramesses II's colossi still standing. ## Questions ### What is the Ramesseum? The mortuary temple of Ramesses II on Luxor's West Bank, best known for its fallen granite colossus, Osiris pillars and Battle of Kadesh reliefs. ### How much is the Ramesseum entrance fee? EGP 220 for foreign adults and EGP 110 for students up to 24 with a valid ID; under-6s go free. Prices are from the official ministry ticketing system. ### What are the Ramesseum opening hours? Daily from 6:00. Last entry is 17:00 in summer and 16:00 in winter and during Ramadan. ### Can I buy tickets at the gate? Don't count on it. Guides say tickets are sold at the West Bank antiquities inspectorate office, not at the gate; buying online through Egymonuments is the safe option. ### Is the Ramesseum worth visiting? Yes for history lovers and anyone after a quiet temple and the Ozymandias colossus. With only one West Bank morning, prioritise the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut. ### How long do you need at the Ramesseum? 45 minutes to an hour for the colossus, courts and hypostyle hall; about 90 minutes if you also walk round the granaries. ### Is the Ramesseum statue the one in Shelley's Ozymandias? By tradition, yes: Ozymandias is the Greek name for Ramesses II, and Diodorus called this temple his tomb. Shelley never saw the statue, so the link is literary rather than documented. ### How do I get to the Ramesseum from Luxor? Take the public ferry from beside Luxor Temple and a taxi for 10–15 minutes, or drive over the bridge from the centre in about 30 minutes. ### What's the difference between the Ramesseum and Medinet Habu? The Ramesseum is Ramesses II's temple and more ruined; Medinet Habu is Ramesses III's later copy, better preserved and still painted. Both cost EGP 220. ## How we checked Fares, concessions, hours (summer, winter and Ramadan) and free phone photography come from the Ramesseum page of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' official ticketing system, as do the Medinet Habu and Hatshepsut figures in the comparison; card payment comes from the same system's FAQ. The ministry's monuments site gives a flat 6:00–17:00; we follow the ticketing system's seasonal last-entry times. Blog prices of EGP 60–160 are out of date. Where to buy on site is unclear: Explore Luxor lists only the West Bank antiquities inspectorate office, and a desk at the gate isn't confirmed, so we recommend buying online and mark it "verifying". The colossus height is "over 17 m" per the ministry, 16–19 m per English Wikipedia and 18 m per Russian Wikipedia, so we say about 17–19 m. Sources disagree on how many of the 48 hypostyle columns stand (29 per Russian Wikipedia and Egypt Fun Tours, 39 per English Wikipedia), so we say "most". The papyri tomb is dated 1885–86 by English Wikipedia but 1896 (Quibell) by The Past; we use 1896. Only English Wikipedia says the mission has worked since 1991, so we leave the year out. Sources disagree on how far the statue inspired Shelley, so we present it as tradition. Ferry and taxi times come from guidebooks and are marked "verifying"; Uber and Careem aren't confirmed in Luxor, inDrive works for cash. Distances are from Wikidata coordinates. Other historical facts are checked against at least two sources. ## Sources - Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, official Egymonuments ticketing: Ramesseum, Medinet Habu, Hatshepsut Temple — fares, hours, concessions; FAQ — payment - Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, monuments site: The Ramesseum, The Temple of Ramses II - English Wikipedia: Ramesseum, Ozymandias, Younger Memnon, Ramesseum magician's box; Wikidata Q311581 - Russian Wikipedia: Ramesseum - Ancient Egypt Online: Ramesseum - Egypt Fun Tours: Ramesseum (unofficial) - Archaeology magazine: "House of Life" school discovered at the Ramesseum - British Museum (Google Arts & Culture): Statue of Ramesses II, the "Younger Memnon" - The Past: finds of the Egyptian-French mission at the Ramesseum - Explore Luxor: Luxor Ticket Offices (unofficial) --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.