Ramesseum

Ramesseum
Aerial view of Thebes' Ramesseum, showing pylons and secondary buildings
Ramesseum is located in Egypt
Ramesseum
Shown within Egypt
LocationLuxor, Luxor Governorate, Egypt
RegionUpper Egypt
Coordinates25°43′40″N 32°36′38″E / 25.72778°N 32.61056°E / 25.72778; 32.61056
TypeSanctuary
Part ofTheban Necropolis
History
BuilderRamesses II
Founded13th century BC
Official nameAncient Thebes with its Necropolis
TypeCultural
Criteriai, iii, vi
Designated1979 (3rd session)
Reference no.87
RegionArab States

The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple) of Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great", also spelled "Ramses" and "Rameses"). It is located in the Theban Necropolis in Upper Egypt, on the west of the River Nile, across from the modern city of Luxor. The name – or at least its French form Rhamesséion – was coined by Jean-François Champollion, who visited the ruins of the site in 1829 and first identified the hieroglyphs making up Ramesses's names and titles on the walls. It was originally called the House of millions of years of Usermaatra-setepenra that unites with Thebes-the-city in the domain of Amon.[1] Usermaatra-setepenra was the prenomen of Ramesses II.

  1. ^ Guy Lecuyot. "The Ramesseum (Egypt), Recent Archaeological Research". Archéologies d'Orient et d'Occident. Archived from the original on 2007-06-06. Retrieved 2007-03-07.