Ramses the Great and the Ramesseum: Ozymandias Temple

In this episode of Ramses the Great, we explore the Ramesseum, Ramses II's magnificent mortuary temple on the west bank of Thebes. Built to last for millions of years, it was called the 'House of Millions of Years of User-Maat-Re' — a name that reflected Ramses' ambition for eternal life. We walk through its massive pylons, explore the fallen colossus that inspired Percy Shelley's famous poem 'Ozymandias,' and examine the intricate reliefs depicting the Battle of Kadesh and the Festival of Min. Lucas and Luna discuss how the temple functioned not just as a religious center but as an economic powerhouse, with granaries, treasuries, and a House of Life for scribes. They also consider the temple's afterlife — how its stones were reused by later builders, and how Shelley's verses turned Ramses' boast into a meditation on the transience of power. Along the way, they touch on the temple's role in Ramses' cult of personality and the preservation of its reliefs. A donation segment reminds listeners that small contributions at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo keep the show ad-free. #RamsesII #Ramesseum #Ozymandias #UserMaatRe #MortuaryTemple #HouseofMillionsofYears #Thebes #AncientEgypt #Kadesh #FestivalofMin #Shelley #FallenColossus #Egyptology #Architecture #Pharaoh #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAfrica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo