People who search for the Colossus of Ramesses II often mean one of two different statues. Both come from the Great Temple of Ptah at Memphis and both were found in 1820 by Giovanni Battista Caviglia, but they differ in material, size and fate. The limestone colossus still lies on its back in the open-air museum at Mit Rahina. The red granite colossus was found in pieces, restored, displayed in Cairo from 1955 and moved into the Grand Egyptian Museum in January 2018.
They are often described as a pair or as twins. The sources show two colossi from the same temple, not identical copies, so this guide treats them as two separate statues.
Where did the colossi of Ramesses II stand?
The Great Temple of Ptah at Memphis, known as Hut-ka-Ptah, was among the largest religious complexes of ancient Egypt, enlarged over some two thousand years (see the guide to Memphis). Ramesses II, who reigned for 66 years in the 13th century BCE, added colossal statues of himself near its gateways, so that visitors approached the temple beneath the king's image.
The granite colossus is about 11 metres tall and is carved from red granite quarried at Aswan, hundreds of kilometres upriver. The limestone colossus measures about 10 metres in its present state, with the lower legs missing, so it stood taller originally; some accounts give a figure above 13 metres, and estimates vary.
Which colossus still lies at Mit Rahina?
The limestone one. Caviglia found it in 1820 near the south gate of the Temple of Ptah, lying on its back. British army engineer A. H. Bagnold is credited with moving it by levers and pulleys in 1887 to the position where it now lies. A pavilion has since been built around it, with a raised walkway that puts visitors at eye level with a face carved at more than twice life size.
Traces of the carved crown and the details of the face survive well, which is why it remains the main reason to stop at Memphis.
See the Colossi for Yourself
Standing beside either statue is different from seeing a photograph. These Egypt Sun Travel tours include Memphis and the Grand Egyptian Museum with a licensed Egyptologist who can tell you which colossus you are looking at.
How did the granite colossus end up in Ramses Square?
The granite statue was also found in 1820, broken into six pieces, and it lay at Mit Rahina for decades. In 1955, under President Gamal Abdel Nasser, it was restored, stabilised with internal iron bars and raised on a pedestal in the square outside Cairo's main railway station, which came to be called Ramses Square.
Pollution and vibration from traffic and the metro were damaging the stone. On 25 August 2006 the statue was moved intact in a roughly ten-hour operation to the Giza plateau, where it waited, restored, for the museum then under construction.
How was the 83-tonne statue moved into the Grand Egyptian Museum?
The final move took place on 25 January 2018. The statue, about 11 metres tall and about 83 tonnes, travelled roughly 400 metres from its temporary site to the museum's entrance hall. Reports describe a steel frame and shock-absorbing suspension on a wheeled transporter, and a route reinforced beforehand, with the convoy moving at walking pace.
It became one of the first major pieces installed in the museum, years before the building opened to the public in full on 1 November 2025.
Which Ramesses II statue is where? A quick comparison
The limestone colossus survived by staying near where it fell. It is damaged, and its setting among the fragments of the Temple of Ptah still resembles the Memphis found two centuries ago. The granite colossus survived by being moved: from Memphis to Ramses Square, then to Giza, then to the Grand Egyptian Museum.
The Mit Rahina statue is therefore not a damaged copy of the famous one. It is the other colossus from the same temple, and the only one still in its original area.
How can you see both?
Memphis lies about 24 km south of central Cairo and is typically visited as a short stop on a Giza and Saqqara day. The Grand Egyptian Museum is next to the Giza plateau; tickets are timed and sold online only, at about USD 30 for foreign adults as of October 2026, with an increase to USD 35 announced from 1 November 2026. Details are in the museum guide. The museum also houses Khufu's solar boat.
Seeing the limestone colossus first gives the museum's granite one more meaning, since you will already have stood beside its partner at the temple where both were found.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Ramesses II statue now?
It depends which one. The limestone colossus lies on its back at the Mit Rahina open-air museum at Memphis. The red granite colossus that stood in Cairo's Ramses Square since 1955 has been in the entrance hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum since 25 January 2018.
Are the two colossi identical twins?
No. Both were found at the Temple of Ptah at Memphis in 1820, but one is limestone and the other red granite, and they differ in size and condition. Calling them an identical pair overstates what the evidence shows.
How tall and heavy is the Grand Egyptian Museum statue?
The granite statue is about 11 metres tall and weighs about 83 tonnes. Some accounts differ slightly on the weight, so treat the figure as approximate.
Which Ramesses II colossus was moved in 2018?
The granite one. On 25 January 2018 it was carried roughly 400 metres from its temporary site on the Giza plateau into the Grand Egyptian Museum. The limestone colossus was not moved.
Is the Memphis colossus worth seeing if I visit the Grand Egyptian Museum?
Yes, if you have time. It is a different statue, still lying near the temple where it was found, and the visit is short. See the Memphis guide for what else is on site.
