Colossal Statue of Ramesses II Beloved of Ptah

As you stand before this monumental statue of Ramesses II, take a moment to consider the immense scale—not just in stone, but in legacy. Carved over 3,000 years ago from red granite quarried in Aswan, this statue once stood outside the Temple of Ptah in ancient Memphis, the religious and administrative heart of Egypt during the New Kingdom. Ramesses wasn’t merely guarding the temple—he was asserting divine authority. Pharaohs were seen as living gods, and statues like this one served not only as political statements but as sacred objects of worship. For centuries, Egyptians presented offerings and recited prayers before it, treating the sculpture itself as a divine presence. Look closely behind the king’s legs and you’ll find delicate carvings of his children—Prince Khaemwaset, a renowned high priest of Ptah and early "archaeologist" of Egypt, and Princess Bintanath, one of his most prominent daughters. Their presence links Ramesses’ royal authority with personal legacy, anchoring his family’s divine status in stone. The statue’s story, however, didn’t end in antiquity. In 1955, during a wave of post-revolutionary nationalism, President Gamal Abdel Nasser relocated the statue to Cairo’s bustling Bab el-Hadid Square. This act was symbolic—a modern military leader drawing a line back to one of Egypt’s most powerful rulers. Yet city life proved harsh: pollution, traffic vibrations, and train tremors endangered the monument. After years of planning, the statue was moved in 2006 to the Grand Egyptian Museum and officially installed in 2018. Remarkably, Ramesses himself recorded in a stela at Heliopolis how he personally chose stone for his statues. He wrote, “I went to Elephantine, my face lighting upon a good mountain.” That poetic line captures how even a god-king was moved by the beauty of nature and craftsmanship. Today, this statue is more than a relic—it’s a bridge across time, linking past glory with national pride, sacred power with human ambition.