Medinet Habu is located on the west bank of the Nile near Luxor, and it is believed that the area was once a settlement known as Djemed. The site is named after the massive mud-brick enclosure that held storehouses, workshops, administrative offices, and residences of priests and officials. The city is believed to have maintained its population well into Coptic times when it was known as Djemet. Pharaoh Ramses III (1182-1151 BC) built three major temples at Medinet Habu: an enormous temple dedicated to Amun-Re-Kamutef on the west bank of the Nile; a smaller temple dedicated to Osiris on the east bank; and a small temple dedicated to his consort Mut.
Ramesseum is a massive temple complex built early in the great pharaoh’s reign and took twenty years to complete. It was described by the Greek traveler Diodorus as a tomb of Ozymandias, which inspired a verse by the great poet Shelley.
This great temple reportedly rivaled the wonders of the temple at Abu Simbel and is very similar both in reliefs and architecture to Ramesses III’s mortuary temple at Medinet Habu.
Madinet Habu is an enormous temple built to honor Ramses II, revered as the father of all gods. Its reliefs tell the story of his life and many battles, while its architecture was considered one of the wonders of the ancient world. This temple would rival that of Abu Simbel in size and magnificence.
Walk through the remnants of the workers’ mud-brick houses at the rear of the site, and then into the grandness of two great temples. The Mortuary Temple of Ramses III has well-preserved Ancient Egyptian art and architecture. This temple complex is particular to Madinat Habu and is carved with giant images of Ramses III defeating the Libyans. The original temple of Amun was later walled into the complex by Ramses III.
The Mortuary Temple of Ramses III at Madinat Habu tells the story of the king’s life, death,
and afterlife. The temple complex was built around the original Amun Temple which was later reworked by Ramses III. It gives information on how Ancient Egyptians understood death and how they believed it led to rebirth in heaven.