On our way to Memphis (Thank you very much)
Yep, had enough of the pyramids so off to Memphis. Sabry said this use to be the capital of Egypt, back in the day, so it’s easy to see why Elvis would adopt it as his home. Lots of notoriety, warm weather, and not too far from a great river for a little cooling off and relaxing. Can’t wait. Sabry said there were huge statues found here so Memphis (Elvis) here we come!
What a disappointment. Not one single statue of Elvis, only some Ramesses II guy. But it was a pretty big statue so someone thought he was important. Actually, Ramesses II ruled Egypt long after Memphis was at its peak, and he was in Thebes, not Men-nefer (the Egyptian name for Memphis). So why is his statue here? To show that Memphis was still important to the ancient Egyptians. (Memphis was the first capitol of Egypt 1500 years prior)
The statue of Ramesses II is 30’ tall (even while missing the King’s feet) and depicts the ruler as a strong, well-built man with his sacred cartouche emblazoned in ten spots on the statue. A bit conceited to say the least, but he wanted everyone to know he was the king by right of the Gods, no question. Even at age 91, yes, Ramsses lived to be 91 years old, he was still depicted as a well-built, strong man. He reigned Egypt for 66 years! Compare that to King Tutankhamen who was in office a mere 12 years. Anyway, the statue was found in shallow waters of the Nile, face down, by the Italian archaeologist Giovanni Caviglia in 1820 and was brought to Memphis to be placed in the museum. Ramesses II is often considered the greatest ruler of Egypt.
Statue found near Memphis of King Ramesses II
Carving of his son located between his legs
one of the ten cartouche on the statue
Another cartouche
The Man, Ramesses II
Many other artifacts are included in this open-air museum. Several partial columns and frescoes from nearby temples; the Great Temple of Ptah (God of Craftsmen), the Temple of Ptah and Sekmet (the Warrior / Healing Goddess), the Temple of Ptah and King Merneptah (4th ruler, 19th Dynasty), and the Temple of Hathor (Lady of the Sycamore, huh?). There is also a large alabaster Sphinx, weighing more than 80 tons, on the museum grounds.
80-ton Sphinx
Pretty impressive for the short 15-mile drive from Saqqara.