Fourteen photographs of the Ramesseum, the old “Memnonium”, and the Colossi of Memnon, made between 1851 and 1862.
In these views the Ramesseum is a field of broken columns and fallen stone, with a giant statue of the king lying in pieces. Early travellers called the temple the “Memnonium”, so old titles blur it with the Colossi of Memnon, two seated statues that stand apart at the edge of the fields; the first section below explains how to read the old names. To plan a visit, see our Colossi of Memnon guide and Ramesseum guide.
The Colossi of Memnon and the Memnonium are different sites. The Colossi of Memnon are the two seated statues of Amenhotep III at the edge of the fields. In the old titles on this page, the “Memnonium” is the Ramesseum, the temple of Ramesses II. The name was not always applied consistently, so check each caption.
Titles that read “Gournah” or “Goorneh” refer to today’s Qurna. One portico at Qurna in Frith’s series is not confirmed as the Ramesseum.
Osiride pillars, which carry statues of the king as Osiris, belong to several west-bank temples. One undated view whose site is not confirmed is in the Medinet Habu gallery.
Four views of the two seated statues of Amenhotep III on the Theban west bank.
The Colossi of Memnon, the two seated statues of Amenhotep III on the Theban west bank, in an upright view from Frith’s 1857 series. See the size of the figures against the flat ground. They once stood before his mortuary temple and still stand at the edge of the fields.
A second view of the pair of Colossi of Memnon in Frith’s 1857 series. Compare it with the upright view to see how the framing changes the sense of scale.
The statue known as the Vocal Memnon, the northern of the two colossi, so called because ancient visitors reported that it sounded at dawn. Greek visitors linked the sound to the hero Memnon. No exact date is recorded. Observe the weathered seated figure.
The right-hand Colossus of Memnon at Gournah, today’s Qurna, on the west bank, photographed by Teynard in 1851–52 and printed in 1853–54. Note the size of the statue. The pair once stood before the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III.
Ten views of the temple of Ramesses II, from Teynard, Frith and Bedford. One, a portico at Qurna, is not confirmed as the Ramesseum.
The fallen colossus of the Ramesseum, which the old title calls the Memnonium, in Frith’s view of around 1857. The Ramesseum is the temple of Ramesses II, and the broken giant is a statue of the king himself, lying in pieces where it fell. See how large the fragments are beside the walls and columns around them. The colossus lies broken inside the temple today.
The north portico of the Ramesseum with the fallen colossus, photographed by Bedford in 1862. Compare it with Frith’s view of the colossus to see the same ruin about five years later.
A general view of the Ramesseum from the south-east, photographed by Bedford in 1862. Notice how the ruined walls and columns sit in open ground. The temple lies on the west bank, not far from the Colossi.
The second court of the Ramesseum, Ramesses II’s mortuary temple on the west bank, with its Osiris pillars, in Frith’s 1857 series. The “Memnonium” of the title is this temple, not the Colossi of Memnon. See the row of pillars along the court.
Teynard’s plate, titled “Gournah (Thebes); Palace Known as the Memnonium”, shows four of the Osiride pillars of the second court of the Ramesseum, according to the British Library’s catalogue, which also gives the Ramesseum as the mortuary temple of Rameses II in western Thebes, also known as the Memnonium. It was photographed in 1851–52 and printed in 1853–54. Observe the row of pillars and the walls behind them.
The Osiride portico of the Ramesseum, in Frith’s 1857 series, where the pillars are fronted by figures of the king as Osiris. Note the row of pillars and the figures against them.
A second view of the Osiride portico of the Ramesseum, taken from a distance, in Frith’s series of around 1857. Compare it with the previous picture to see how the viewpoint changes the row of pillars.
The south portico of the Ramesseum with its Osiride columns, dated 17 March 1862 and photographed by Bedford. See the columns and the figures that front them.
The portico of the temple at Goorneh, today’s Qurna, seen from behind, in Frith’s series of around 1857. The catalogue does not confirm which west-bank temple this is: Qurna is best known for the mortuary temple of Seti I, so it may not be the Ramesseum. Observe the back of the pillars.
The Hall of Columns of the Ramesseum, in Frith’s series of around 1857. Note the columns that remain standing and those that have fallen. The hall lies inside the temple, beyond the courts.
Who and when. Three photographers made the pictures on this page. Eight views are from Francis Frith’s 1857 Nile series. Three are catalogued by Royal Collection Trust, which holds the prints; five are matched by title and series. Four are from Francis Bedford’s 1862 tour with the Prince of Wales. Félix Teynard, who worked on the west bank in 1851–52, made two plates published as Égypte et Nubie in about 1858.
Reading the photographs. Start with scale: the statues and the fallen colossus are far larger than the people who stood beside them. Compare Frith’s fallen colossus of about 1857 with Bedford’s north portico of 1862. The headings here use the modern names.
Medium, size and old title for each picture appear under the photograph itself. Links go to the holding institution’s record where one is available.