Ramses II Statue at Giza

At the entrance to the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza pyramids, a single statue stops every visitor in their tracks. Standing more than 11 metres tall and carved from deep red Aswan granite, the Colossal Statue of Ramesses II is not simply a museum exhibit — it is the symbolic guardian of the entire building, a 3,200-year-old monument that has spent the last century on a remarkable journey across Egypt before finding its permanent home in Giza. Whether you encounter it for the first time bathed in the atrium light of the world’s largest archaeological museum, or approach it with years of anticipation after reading about its troubled travels, it commands the kind of reverential silence that few ancient objects can produce. Here is the full story of where it came from, what it represents, and how to make the most of your visit.

History of the Ramses II Statue at Giza

The statue was created during the reign of Ramesses II, who ruled Egypt from approximately 1279 to 1213 BCE — a 66-year reign that made him arguably the most powerful pharaoh in Egyptian history and certainly one of the most prolific builders. Ramesses II commissioned more statues of himself than any other pharaoh, and this colossus — carved from a single block of red Aswan granite and depicting him standing in a striding pose that symbolized power and forward momentum — was placed at the entrance of the ancient city of Memphis, the original capital of unified Egypt located at Mit Rahina, south of modern Cairo. Memphis was a city of immense importance: it was where the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt were united, where the god Ptah was worshipped, and where pharaohs were crowned. The statue’s original position at its entrance would have announced Egypt’s might to arriving dignitaries and traders alike.

The statue fell at some point in antiquity, breaking into six large pieces that lay buried in the sand at Mit Rahina for centuries. European explorers discovered it in 1820, and its excavation and gradual reconstruction attracted international attention throughout the 19th century. In 1955, Egyptian Prime Minister Gamal Abdel Nasser ordered the reassembled statue moved to Cairo, where it was installed in Ramses Square — the transportation hub outside Cairo’s main railway station, which was promptly renamed Ramses Station in its honor. The statue stood there for over five decades, towering above taxis and bus queues, breathing diesel fumes from one of the city’s most congested intersections. By 2006, Egyptian authorities had grown alarmed: automotive emissions were visibly degrading the ancient granite, and a careful relocation to Giza began. In January 2018, after years of preparation, the statue was transported to the atrium of the then-under-construction Grand Egyptian Museum, where it now stands as the permanent centerpiece of the building. The Grand Egyptian Museum officially opened to the public on November 4, 2025.

What to See at the Grand Egyptian Museum

The Colossal Statue in Context

The Grand Egyptian Museum’s architects designed the main atrium specifically around the statue — the entire hall is proportioned to show Ramesses II to maximum dramatic effect. As you pass through the main entrance and ascend the grand staircase, the statue reveals itself in stages: first the feet and lower body loom above, then the chest and outstretched arms, and finally the serene granite face gazes down from nearly four storeys above floor level. The scale is genuinely overwhelming. At 11 metres tall and weighing approximately 83 tons, this is one of the largest ancient Egyptian statues ever found, and being in its presence creates an almost physical awareness of how the ancient Egyptians intended monuments to work on human psychology — not as aesthetic objects to be admired from a comfortable distance, but as instruments of awe designed to reduce the viewer to appropriate insignificance before divine royal power. Take time to walk the full circumference of the statue’s base and study the hieroglyphic inscriptions carved into the belt and chest cartouches, which identify the pharaoh by his full royal titulary.

Tutankhamun’s Treasures and the Grand Galleries

The Ramses II statue may be the most dramatic single object in the Grand Egyptian Museum, but the building contains over 100,000 artifacts from across Egypt’s pharaonic history, and no visit would be complete without exploring the Grand Galleries that flank the central atrium. The museum’s most celebrated collection is the complete treasure of Tutankhamun — reunited for the first time in a purpose-built wing that displays all 5,000+ objects from the boy pharaoh’s tomb together, including the famous golden death mask, gilded chariots, alabaster canopic jars, and the innermost golden coffin. This collection was previously split between the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square and storage, and seeing it complete and newly conserved is a revelation even for visitors who thought they already knew it. Beyond Tutankhamun, the museum covers Egypt’s history from the Old Kingdom through the Greco-Roman period, with galleries dedicated to royal statuary, everyday life, writing and papyrus, jewelry, and the architecture of the great temples.

The Giza Plateau Views and Museum Architecture

The Grand Egyptian Museum building is itself a landmark worthy of attention. Designed by the Irish architectural firm Heneghan Peng, the structure is positioned so that its transparent facade frames a direct view of the three Great Pyramids of Giza — an intentional alignment that creates a visual dialogue between ancient monument and modern museum. From the main terrace, particularly at sunset, the pyramids appear to float between the museum’s angular forms and the desert sky in a way that stops even the most seasoned traveler. The building’s external skin is composed of thousands of translucent alabaster panels that glow at dusk, and the scale of the complex — covering 480,000 square metres of built area — means visitors could spend multiple days here without seeing everything. Allow at least four to five hours for a focused first visit covering the Ramses II statue, the Tutankhamun galleries, and the main permanent collection.

Local Insights

The Grand Egyptian Museum opened in late 2025 and is still finding its feet operationally. These tips will help you navigate it more successfully than the average first-time visitor.

• Book tickets online in advance — The museum’s official ticketing website (tickets.gem.eg) allows advance purchase. During peak season (October–April) and school holiday periods, queues at the ticket desk can exceed two hours. Online tickets allow you to bypass the general queue and proceed directly to the entrance lanes.
• Arrive at opening (8:30 AM) — The Tutankhamun galleries become extremely congested by mid-morning as tour groups move through in sequence. Arriving at opening and heading directly to the Tutankhamun wing before the crowds arrive gives you a considerably more immersive experience, after which you can double back to see the Ramses II atrium at a more leisurely pace.
• The museum is enormous — plan strategically — Download the museum’s official app or pick up a printed floor plan at the entrance. Attempting to see everything in one visit leads to exhaustion without genuine engagement. Consider focusing on two or three galleries per visit and returning for more.
• Photography is permitted without flash — Smartphone photography is allowed throughout the museum including in the Tutankhamun galleries, which represents a significant change from the old Egyptian Museum’s policies. However, tripods and professional video equipment require a permit purchased separately at the entrance.
• Combine with the Giza Plateau on the same day — The Grand Egyptian Museum is located approximately 2 km from the Giza pyramid complex. Visiting both on the same day — museum in the morning when you are fresh, pyramids in the afternoon — is one of Cairo’s greatest experiences. Taxi and Uber connections between the two sites take under ten minutes.

Planning Your Visit

• Tickets: Foreign adults 1,450 EGP (approx. $29 USD); foreign students and children (6–12) 730 EGP; Egyptian adults 200 EGP; children under 6 free. Additional fees may apply for special exhibitions.
• Opening hours: Daily 8:30 AM – 10:00 PM. Last entry one hour before closing. The museum opened officially on November 4, 2025.
• Best time: October through April for comfortable weather. Arrive at 8:30 AM opening for minimum crowds. Avoid Egyptian national holidays and school group visits (Tuesday–Thursday mornings during school term).
• Duration: Minimum 3–4 hours for highlights; 6–8 hours for a thorough visit. The Tutankhamun wing alone takes 1.5–2 hours to see properly.
• Booking: Advance booking strongly recommended. Book at tickets.gem.eg or through licensed tour operators. Walk-up tickets are available but wait times can be lengthy in peak season.

Getting There

• Bus: No direct metro service. The CTA Bus Route 997 connects Giza Metro Station (end of Metro Line 2) to the museum. Journey time approximately 20 minutes. Ask for the Grand Egyptian Museum stop.
• By car: The museum is located on Alexandria Desert Road (Cairo–Alexandria Desert Road) near the Giza pyramids. Follow signs to “GEM” from the ring road or from Giza Square. Large paid parking lots are available at the museum complex.
• On foot: Not recommended from central Cairo due to distance (approximately 20 km from Downtown). However, from the Giza pyramid plateau entrance the museum is a manageable 15–20 minute walk heading north along the desert road.
• Taxi/ride-share: Uber and Careem are the most practical options. Search for “Grand Egyptian Museum” or “GEM Giza.” Fare from central Cairo is approximately 80–120 EGP depending on traffic. Drop-off is at the main entrance plaza.