MEMPHIS

This odd-angled photo is of the huge statue of Ramesses II inside the "museum" at Memphis. Though Memphis was once a huge city in ancient times, almost nothing remains for the modern visitor to see. There are a handful of large statues in a small open air park, and some souvenir vendors, though the main attraction is obviously the above statue. The limestone Colossus of Ramesses II used to stand before the gates of the sanctuary of Ptah, but today it lies on its back, without its lower legs. This view is from the upper observation deck, where even from here it is hard to get the entire colossus in the camera frame. You can see its scale from the people that stand on both sides of it.

This beautiful sphinx is from Egypt's 18th Dynasty. It is the largest of the sphinxs made of alabaster, and one side of it (the right side of this photo) is well preserved, while the other half is in bad shape, due to the statue having lain on its side (partly buried) for centuries. In the distance behind the sphinx you can see people in front of the kiosk that holds the colossus of Ramesses II.